The Message of the Messengers by AsraRasheed

The Message of the Messengers Dr Asra Rasheed

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Schopenhauer

Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Purpose of Creation ............................................................................. 4 Chapter 2: The Islamic Perspective on Learning .Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 3: The Evolutionary Model .......................................................................... 16 Chapter 4: The Islamic Perspective on the Evolution of non-Human Organisms .......................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 5: The Creation of Humans .......................................................................... 34 Chapter 6: The World of the Unseen ......................................................................... 44

Al Ghayb – The Unseen .............................................................................................................45 The Angels ....................................................................................................................................47 The Angel Gabriel .................................................................................................................................49 The Angel Mikā’eel...............................................................................................................................49 The Guardian Angels ...........................................................................................................................50 The Recording Angels.........................................................................................................................50 The Angel of Death...............................................................................................................................51 Angels in General..................................................................................................................................51 The Jinn .........................................................................................................................................52 Satan and the Enmity of the Jinn....................................................................................................60 Free Will and Evil .......................................................................................................................66

Chapter 7: The Concept of God in Islam ................................................................... 70

The Most Perfect Names ..........................................................................................................72

Chapter 8: The Divine Message ................................................................................... 90

The Divine Message and Fiṭrah.............................................................................................93 The Divine Message and the Prophets ...............................................................................96 Alteration of the Message .......................................................................................................99 Paul of Tarsus........................................................................................................................... 113

Chapter 9: The Qur’an, Islam, and Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬...............................................119 The Messenger of God, Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬............................................................................. 126

Chapter 10: Jesus, Son of Mary ..................................................................................130

Joseph.......................................................................................................................................... 133 Crucifixion and Resurrection ............................................................................................. 136 The Trinity ................................................................................................................................ 138 God the Father ......................................................................................................................... 139 The Son of God, and God the Son ....................................................................................... 139 The Holy Ghost ......................................................................................................................... 142 The Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah ....................................................................... 145

Chapter 11: Death and The Day of Judgement .....................................................147 Chapter 12: A Summary ............................................................................................... 156

Chapter 1: The Purpose of Creation Life, as defined by any dictionary, is the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity and continued change, preceding death. Can it really be just a set of functional biochemical processes that separate the animate from the inanimate? Or perhaps a cumulate of experiences and memories – mundane and extraordinary – both of which eventually fade into oblivion with the passage of time? Or does life serve its custodian a higher purpose? If life is considered to be a significant reality – and most people would agree that it is – then there must be a meaningful reason for it; something more than just the mechanical performance of necessary routine activities, interspersed with the pursuit of pleasure and the achievement of short-lived pinnacles of success. It would be logical to propose that to understand life, it is necessary to understand the reason behind it. The Qur’an1 addresses this fundamental question clearly and precisely. In reference to human existence on earth, we are informed: The original language of the Qur’an is Classical Arabic. Modern English translations of the Qur’an have been used throughout this book. 1

“And We2 (God) did not create jinn3 and man except to worship Me.” 51:56 The Qur’an teaches that the sole reason and purpose for the existence of everything is the glorification of God: “The seven heavens, the earth, and whatever is in them exalt Him (God). And there is not a thing except that it exalts (God) by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He (God) is ever forbearing and forgiving.” 17:44 Doubt or denial of this fundamental precept prompts the contemplation of another question that God Himself puts forward in the Qur’an: “Does man think that he will be left aimless?” 75:36 To consider life as having no purpose other than a physical one is a misunderstanding of the very essence of existence, as explained in the Qur’an: “We have not created the heaven, the earth, and all that lies between them in futility. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve…” 38:27 In many places within the original Arabic text of the Qur’an, God refers to Himself using the majestic plural “We”, implying grandeur and splendour – purely semantic, it has no association with plurality of divinity either in being or essence. 3 The topic of the jinn is discussed in Chapter 6. 2

In the Islamic view, God does not create without reason or purpose – it does not befit God to engage in triviality or frivolity, as explained in the Qur’an: “And We did not create the heaven, the earth and what is between them in jest.” 21:16 The underlying quandary, after stripping away the semantics of philosophy and metaphysics which so often divert from the reality of God, is that He, in His self, is not physically tangible to our senses – our eyes cannot actually see Him, our ears cannot actually hear Him and our touch cannot actually feel Him. It follows therefore, in the mind of the sceptic, that He must not exist – except as a figment of imagination and a convenient explanation for phenomena previously not understood. The Qur’an does not extensively probe the minutiae of atheism, regarding it as a purely illogical construct. A question from the Qur’an: “Were they (humans) created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather they have no firm convictions.” 52:35-36 Something from nothing? - This very paradox has been noted by many respected scientists both past and present, for instance the physiologist George Wald: “The 6

reasonable view was to believe in spontaneous generation; the only alternative, to believe in a single act of supernatural creation. There is no third position. Most modern biologists, having reviewed with satisfaction the downfall of the spontaneous generation hypothesis, yet unwilling to accept the alternative belief in special creation, are left with nothing.”4 The existence of the Creator is so self evident, that to deny His existence shows a lack of thought regarding the intricacy of all that exists: “And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth they pass by, and yet from these [signs] they turn away.” 12:105 Preoccupied only with how? Yet completely evasive of why? In fact, Max Planck noted, “Hitherto the principle of causality was universally accepted as an indispensible postulate of scientific research, but now we are told by some physicists that it must be thrown overboard. The fact that such an extraordinary opinion should be expressed in responsible scientific quarters is widely taken to be significant of the all-round unreliability of human knowledge. This indeed is a very serious situation.”5 Francis Crick, famed for his contribution to describing the double helix, although a proponent of the wildly 4 5

Wald, G. 1954. The Origin of Life. Scientific American, p.45. Planck, M. Where is Science Going? p66. 7

speculative theory of directed panspermia, conceded: “The origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going.”6 The renowned physical chemist Ilya Prigogine stated more frankly: “The statistical probability that organic structures and the most precisely harmonised reactions that typify living organisms would be generated by accident is zero.”7 Paul Davies writes, “I cannot believe our existence in this universe is a mere quirk of fate, an accident of history, an incidental blip in the great cosmic drama. Our involvement is too intimate.”8 While Roger Penrose, despite being an atheist feels “I would say the universe has a purpose. It’s not there just somehow by chance.”9 Einstein, widely regarded as the most important scientist of the twentieth century, himself stopped short of explicit atheism, concluding in his own words: “In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognise, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views.”10

Crick, F. Life Itself, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1981, p.88. Prigogine, I. et al. Physics Today 25, pp. 23-28. 8 Ch. 9. The Mystery at the End of the Universe”, p232 9 Penrose, R. 1992. A Brief History of Time (movie). Burbank, CA, Paramount Pictures, INC. 7

The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 2000. 8

The Qur’an repeatedly directs the reader to look at all the different facets of life and the natural world that serve as signs or evidences of God’s existence: “Say, ‘Observe what is in the heavens and the earth.’ But signs and warners are of no avail to a people who do not believe.” 10:101 Ironically, while many atheists reject belief in the creation of the universe, objecting to the concept of belief, regarding it as wholly unscientific – they feel no compunction in believing in the existence of a multiverse, or other similar hypotheses. Islam does not endorse blind faith. It promotes knowledge and reason that in turn bring about the realisation and conviction that perfect compatibility, order, and consistency do not find their origins in randomness or nothingness - ex nihilo nihil fit. The intricately precise synchronous physical constants and delicate biochemical parameters that govern all aspects of life, make it impossible to be a product of fortuity, by any measure. By virtue of this precision, formulae and calculations can be computed to manipulate the physical, chemical and biological world. As explained in the Qur’an, centuries before any notion of anthropic coincidence: “He has created everything, and ordained for it a precise measure.” 25:2 9

Chapter 2: The Islamic Perspective on Learning Learning, whether stimulated by curiosity, fascination, pleasure, or necessity, is integral to accomplishment, and Islam has always promoted a relationship with knowledge and learning. The orientalist scholar and interpreter, Franz Rosenthal noted, “Knowledge is one of those concepts that have dominated Islam and given Muslim civilization its distinctive shape and complexion. There is no other concept that has been operative as a determinant of Muslim civilization in all its aspects to the same extent as knowledge.”11 In fact, the very first word of the Qur’an to be revealed was read, and the first five verses of revelation were: “Read, in the Name of your Lord who created – created man12 from a clinging mass13. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous; who taught by the pen – taught man what he did not know.” 96:1-5 The entire universe has always been viewed as an index of the omnipotence and omniscience of a creator: “Certainly, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of the night and the day, there are indeed signs for a people of understanding.” 3:190 Rosenthal, F. Knowledge Triumphant. Brill Academic Publishers, 2007, p.2. Man here is used in the generic sense, applying to both genders, as is the case in the majority of passages in the Qur’an.. 13 The implanted blastocyst, which develops into an embryo. 11 12

God Himself constantly urges humans to study and reflect on natural phenomena created by Him: “And on the earth are signs for those who have faith with certainty, and in your own selves. Will you not then see?” 51:20-21 For instance: • The movement of the Sun and other celestial objects: “He has subjected the Sun and the Moon (to its law), each running its course for a term appointed.” 13:02 “And the Sun and the Moon, All (celestial bodies), swim along, each in its orbit.” 21:33 Previous heliocentric models considered the Sun to be stationary, with the other astronomical bodies orbiting it. • Brackish water in estuaries, and haloclines in seas: “He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water: one sweet and palatable, the other salty and bitter; and He has made between them a barrier14 and a forbidding partition.” 25:53 14

The actual word used is barzakh, which means a non visible barrier. 11

“He has set free15 the two seas meeting together. There is a barrier between them that they do not transgress.” 55:19-20 Interestingly, the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬16, who never travelled by sea himself, described this salinity feature given its name in 1960. • The intimate relationship between wind, cloud formation, rain and land water: “God is the one who sends forth the winds which raise up the clouds; He spreads them into the sky as He wills and breaks them into fragments, then you see the raindrops emerging from within them.” 30:48 “Do you not see that God sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs and rivers in the earth.” 39:21 It is important to contextualise these verses and similar ones mentioned in the Qur’an. Facts which are regarded as obvious in todays digital age, were unimaginable to people living in the 6th century.

The actual word used is maraja, which means a coming and going movement. 16 The symbol ‫ ﷺ‬stands for ṣall-allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, translated into English as: may the peace and blessings of God be upon him. This is used as a mark of respect. 12

Since God is not Himself observable, and is holistically beyond the scope of the intellect, it becomes imperative that the human being is able to recognise His existence through other means. Subsequently, human beings have been given the capability to measure, calculate and arrive at solutions and explanations. God, in His wisdom, created His signs in a manner that can be appreciated and understood by the intellect. It is for this reason that the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬said: “Reflect upon God’s creation, and do not reflect upon [the essence of] God.”17 This is an open invitation to human beings to contemplate and investigate all aspects of God’s creation. In fact, this is the very construct of science – to observe and experiment. This method was never deemed to be blasphemous or heretical in Islam, and historically Muslim scientists enjoyed official patronage, and a vibrant and eclectic environment in which to work. While superstitious fear crippled entire cultures in the Early Middle Ages, the Islamic world was freeing itself from those shackles. In fact, when the Prophet Muhammad’s infant son died, it coincided with a solar eclipse. Individuals in the community started to speculate that it was due to the death of his child, but on hearing this, the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬declared, “The sun and the moon are signs of God. They are not eclipsed for the death, nor for the birth of anyone. Therefore, on beholding an eclipse, remember God and turn to Him in 17

Abu Nuaym authenticated by Al Albaanee in Silsilah al Hadeeth as Saheehah, vol.4, No. 1788. 13

prayer.”18 An imposter would have used the incident to his advantage, but being a prophet of God, Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬set about clarifying the truth of the situation. To cite just a few examples19 which illustrate the diversity of intellect and achievement in the Muslim world; Muslim scholars held the opinion that the Earth was spherical20. They developed spherical trigonometry to calculate the distance and direction of any given point on the earth from Mecca. The 9th century mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and father of algorithms, alKhawarizmi, an employed scientist of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, was requested by the Caliph, alMa’m ūn, to calculate the circumference of the Earth. Overseeing his team of geographers, mathematicians, and cartographers, he arrived at the modern equivalent of 40,248 km – remarkably accurate considering he lived over a thousand years ago. The 13th century physician and anatomist, Ibn Nafis, accurately described the four chambers of the heart, and a difference between the blood entering the right and left side of it. Three hundred years later, his writings were translated into Latin, and made accessible to European scientists. The 9th century cryptographer, al-Kindi, wrote a famous treatise entitled A Manuscript on Deciphering 18

Bukhari, Book 18, No. 152. 1001 Inventions, Muslim Heritage in our World, FSTC Publishers Ltd. 20 To quote the 10th century Spanish scholar Ibn Hazm, “The earth is spherical despite what is popularly believed… the sun is always vertical to a particular spot on Earth” – Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation, Ibn Hazm’s Philosophy and Thoughts on Science, Nov 2003. 19

Cryptographic Messages. By studying the Arabic text of the Qur’an closely, he came to understand the principle of characteristic letter frequency, and was the first to describe frequency analysis. al-Kindi laid the foundations of cryptography, requiring a command of linguistics, statistics, and mathematics. Despite a growing predilection to disparage anything Islamic, including its history; the research, discoveries and inventions of the scientists whose life-works flourished in these Muslim lands are indelible. These great minds are too numerous to mention. They preserved and corrected the knowledge of the Greeks and Romans, and they themselves promoted experimentation to prove their hypotheses. Their contribution to the shaping of the modern world remains unquestionable, since their achievements would later have a profound impact on Europe’s own progress into research-based learning. In short, the period of history termed the Islamic Golden Age, although not widely known, was the height of civilization in its time, producing exceptional polymaths and scholars, male and female, Muslim and non-Muslim, from different backgrounds – an attitude and an environment at polar opposites to the intelligencesupressing extremist movements that have come to plague the reputation of Islam in the modern world.

Chapter 3: The Evolutionary Model Biological evolution is regarded as the most acceptable scientific postulate for the existence of life on earth without intelligent design. In the face of fringe alternate theories, such as panspermia, or ancient astronauts seeding or terraforming, the theory has itself evolved into indisputable fact. Mainstream evolutionary theory proposes phylogenesis by natural selection – that all living organisms have evolved from primal organisms that have themselves evolved from an ancient common ancestor over geological time. Through the process of descent with modification, organisms are said to have diversified, not only within their own species and populations (microevolution), but also into an assemblage of different organisms (macroevolution) that either exist presently or have become extinct. Human beings, referred to as modern anatomical humans are considered to be phylogenetic organisms too. The concept of evolutionary phylogenesis well predates its most famous founding fathers; Darwin in the eighteenth century, and Buffon a hundred years before him. Though widely regarded as an avant-garde concept, reflecting modern and liberal thinking, it is, in fact, antiquated, having been discussed rudimentarily by the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans, and then later on by the Islamic scientists of the Middle Ages.

In modern times, however, the theory has been unscrupulously seized upon by atheists, and wielded like a weapon to ‘scientifically’ disprove the existence of God; Historian of Science and evolutionary biologist William Provine stating, “Evolution is the greatest engine of atheism ever invented.”21Any mention of God is considered backward and narrow minded – a method which simply stifles open discussion and fair critique of the theory, whilst decades-old critical observations by previous scientists, who were generally able to express their objections more liberally, remain as valid today as when they were first raised. The esteemed neurophysiologist John Eccles noted: “The amazing success of the theory of evolution has protected it from significant critical evaluation in recent times. However it fails in a most important respect; it cannot account for the existence of each one of us as unique, self-conscious beings.”22 The theory of evolution has been spun and marketed – very unscientifically at times – to stump any notion of intelligent design. By removing ‘God’, so ends all sentiments of a higher purpose to life other than a purely nihilistic or animal existence – the human being reduced to nothing more than a sum of its parts. Aldous Huxley, considered to be a seminal intellect of the twentieth century, and a fervent protagonist of Darwinism, candidly stated in one of his works: Provine William B., [Professor of Biological Sciences, Cornell University], Darwin Day website, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 1998. 22 Eccles, J. The Human Mystery (The Gifford Lectures, University of Edinburgh, 1977-78), Berlin: Springer International, 1979. 21

“For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system, and liberation from a certain system of morality.”23 Speaking objectively, and away from spin and politics, the theory does show scientific inferences24; but as with theories in general, there is a lot of assimilation by way of conjecture and speculation. For instance, the diagrams postulating the evolution of Pakicetus, a dog like animal, into a basic whale; or the well-known illustrations depicting the linear descent of man through a series of hominin representations – firstly as a hairy quadruped, then progressing through various stages of semi-upright bipedal pre-humans, and then a few drawings later, into an upright, relatively hairless, posturally erect modern anatomical human – these wellreceived extrapolations of events are literally pseudoscience; clever schematics duping the general public by visually solidifying the idea of a very straight forward, homologous, and therefore natural and expected transition from one form to the next. In just a matter of a few apocryphal images, the virtually incalculable correlative genetic modifications that would be required for these changes have been trounced into insignificance by five or six artistic characterisations, natura non facit saltum – nature makes no jump. 23

Ends and Means, Chapter 14. Microevolution within species as an adaptation to environmental change is well documented. 24

In fact, Darwin, all those years ago, was keenly aware of these complexities, and did not seek to trivialise them. With reference to just one organ, from The Origin of Species: “To assume that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.”25 Aggressive commandeering of the theory has permitted what would normally be considered major discrepancies to be simply covered by clever terminology such as ‘evolutionary surges’, or glossed over as gaps - or even completely dismissed as irrelevant detail, without any further thought. Planck’s principle can be well applied in this case, “An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul. What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarized with the ideas from the beginning.”26 Worse still, occasional tampering of evidence, or even forgeries, as was the case with Piltdown Man, Nebraska Man, and Archaeoraptor, were all committed in an attempt to conform to previously conceived suppositions. Questionable areas still remain, including:

25 26

Chapter 6. Scientific Autobiography and Other Papers, trans F. Gaynor. 19

• The fossil record of the Cambrian Explosion, with the sudden appearance of varied complex life forms over a relatively short period of geological time (with the preceding Ediacaran biota showing no clear relationship as progenitors) is juxtaposed to descent with modification. This was a serious problem even for Darwin. From The Origin of Species: “If numerous species, belonging to the same genera or families, have really started into life all at once, the fact would be fatal to the theory of descent with slow modification through natural selection.”27 150 years on, the fossil record of the Cambrian rocks and Darwin’s “abominable mystery” regarding the angiosperm explosion are still problematic. • Incipient structures and organs (as with exaptation) are simply imagined to confer advantage at every increment of development – but unless a structure is fully functional, it would have imparted obvious disadvantages. In a highly predatory and brutal prehistoric environment, any disadvantage would steer life to extinction rather than evolution. In addition, despite extensive palaeontology over the last century, the absence of a credible number of transitional fossils representing organisms related by evolution is troubling. From The Origin of Species: “Why, if species have descended from other species by insensibly fine 27

Ibid. 20

gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms.”28 • The universally acknowledged fact that mutations are rare and random. Whilst many are neutral in effect, few are beneficial, and the vast majority of genetic mutations do not give rise to favourable changes, with biological mechanisms existing to repair these alterations29. Additionally, only those mutations that arise in the gametes are heritable – all these factors oppose the probability that massive and coordinated genetic change occurred (either gradually or punctuated) for modification into complex organs which function as interrelated systems. Furthermore, the mechanisms which drive evolution are not cognitive in themselves, and natural selection is understood to only work with what it has; selecting among whatever variations already exist in the population. It cannot plan in advance what an organism might need for survival in the future, either behaviourally or physically. Yet organisms show too perfect an ability and diversity, beyond the restrictive and chance-based process of mutation and natural selection, along with genetic drift and migration, to function in the way that they do. Once again, these complexities were not disregarded by Darwin. From The Origin of Species: “Can we believe that natural selection could produce on the one hand, an organ of trifling importance, such as the tail of a giraffe, 28

Ibid. In general, it is Cancer cells that have the most genetic changes as compared to normal cells – National Cancer Institute, The Genetics of Cancer. 29

which serves as a fly-flapper, and on the other hand, an organ so wonderful as the eye?”30 It is a sad truth that no other branch of science so unconditionally embraces as fact assertions based on analogical reasoning, rather than rigorous evidence. From The Origin of Species: “I can see no very great difficulty (not more than in the case of many other structures) in believing that natural selection has converted the simple apparatus of an optic nerve…into an optical instrument as perfect as is possessed by any member of the great Articulate class.” 31 “I can see no very great difficulty in believing” is not tangible evidence. It is an attitude held by Darwin (and others presently), which for extremely precise and complex changes is considered to be adequate enough to make ‘God’ the least likely explanation. Belief in God, and anything to do with Him, becomes relegated to the realms of irrationalism and spurned as fodder for the scientifically uncultivated – but no one would ever consider intellectuals like Descartes, Faraday, or Kelvin to be irrational and scientifically uncultivated, yet they were theists; whilst acclaimed scientists like Neville Mott, Fred Sigworth, Henry Schaefer, and Robert Kaita, amongst others32 – have all expressed reservations about evolutionary theory. 30

Chapter 6. Ibid. 32 It is always promoted that scientists and intellectuals are invariably proponents of evolution. 31

Quoting Newton: “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the council and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being…This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all, and on account of his dominion, he is to be called Pantokrator or Universal Ruler.”33 The Theory of Evolution is just that – a theory, and to present it as unchallengeable certainty is a misdemeanour that equals the blithe negation of all its aspects by many Young Earth Creationists34. Einstein noted: “Then there are the fanatical atheists whose intolerance is of the same kind as the intolerance of the religious fanatics, and comes from the same source.”35 Perhaps a peremptory approach to the theory has come about in response to the suppression which the Church enforced on scientific thinkers of the Middle Ages, and the constrictive teachings of present-day Young Earth Creationism. In the late 19th century, the theory became the means by which a historically oppressive church and unfulfilling clergy could be challenged. ‘General Scholium’, Newton’s Principia, The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated by A. Motte. 34 The essence of the disagreement between Islamic teachings and those of Young Earth Creationism is not that God cannot create the earth and all that is in it, in 144 hours – God is all powerful, and could do all of that in an instant; rather, the disagreement lies in the fact that several Islamic texts, including the Qur’an 2:30 and 25:38 indicate that the earth is significantly older than the age which Young Earth Creationists believe it to be. 35 The Expanded Quotable Einstein. Princeton University Press. 2000. 33

The often acidic relationship between the Church and Science, coupled with church-administered inconsistencies in social justice, remains ever fresh in the collective minds of the scientific community and anyone familiar with history. The many iniquities include: • For centuries the Church happily went along with the feudal structure of society36, tithed the poor and ostracised the disabled. So entrenched in the minds of the common people were these stigmatic attitudes, they prevailed well into the Victorian era – disability could lead to the Asylum, and poverty was not seen as a social problem but rather a crime, punishable by the dreaded Workhouse, whilst the gentry inherited ease. Interestingly, the first Caliph of Islam, in the 7th century, instated the revolutionary concept of a welfare state. Every person, male or female, adult or child, living under his rule received an equal allowance from the treasury to provide for basic needs. • The barbaric exploits of the Crusades, which annihilated both Muslims and Jews who had coexisted peacefully (with Orthodox Christians) in the Holy Land under Muslim rule for almost half a millennium37. These were instigated by the Church, with the First Crusade ordered by Pope Urban II. 36

Even the Magna Carta in 1215 did not include serfs or women, applying to free men only who made up less than half the population at the time. 37 After the expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem by the Romans in the first century, and later their massacre at the hands of the Byzantines in 629, it would be another 500 24

The chronicler Fulcher of Chartres recorded that the crusaders “cut down anybody they could, and the streets of Jerusalem were ankle deep in blood, and they killed whoever they wished.”38 Guibert of Nogent39, another chronicler of the First Crusade recorded that the crusaders often resorted to cannibalism en route to the Holy Land, and on July 15th 1099 after 36 hours of pure savagery, 30,000 Muslims; men, women and children were slaughtered, and 6,000 Jews who had taken refuge in the synagogues were burned alive. In total eight crusades were launched, spanning two centuries. • The Edicts of Expulsion of European Jewry (or the ‘Christ Killers’ as the Jews were popularly known). There were many expulsions, beginning in England in the mid-thirteenth century, but more notably in 1376 from Hungary; in 1394 from France; in 1470 from Bavaria; in 1492 from Spain; in the early 1500s from Sicily; in 1537 from Apulia in Italy; and in 1542 from Bohemia – many found refuge under the Ottoman caliphs, so much so that the Chief Rabbi of Edirne encouraged European Jewry to settle in the Ottoman Empire, stating that it was better for them to live under Muslims than under Christianity40. Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant Reformation, in his book On the Jews and Their Lies, wrote, “First, years until they were allowed to live and practice their religion in the city, when the second Caliph Umar conquered it in 637 CE. 38 The Siege of the City of Jerusalem, Fulcher of Chartres. 39 The deeds of God through the Francs, Guibert of Nogent 40 Bernard, L. The Jews of Islam. New york (1984), pp. 135-36. 25

set fire to their synagogues and schools… Second, I advise their houses also be razed and destroyed…Third, their prayer books and Talmud be taken away…Fourth, rabbis to be forbidden to teach…Fifth, safe conduct on the highways be abolished completely for them…Sixth, usury be prohibited to them…Seventh, put them to work…stop them in their idle away of time, feasting and farting and on top of all, boasting blasphemously of their lordship over Christians by means of our sweat. No, toss out these lazy rogues by the seat of their pants.”41 • The Inquisition led witch hunts, in which countless women and girls lost their lives upon mere village gossip, and the clash between church doctrine and scientists who could be ostracized for as little as recording observation of natural phenomena. • The pivotal role the Church played in the brutality of the slave trade. An entire ethnicity was dehumanised and subjugated on the premise that the dark-skinned man was not made in the ‘image of God’. Curiously, after abolition, it was the theory of evolution (deemed to be a liberating set of thoughts) that helped to subliminally perpetuate deep-rooted sentiments of racial superiority. Primitive man in evolutionary anthropology was habitually depicted as being aboriginal, whilst the anatomically modern human was always illustrated as a white Caucasian – scientific racism, pure and simple. Whilst certain statements about race and civilization in The Descent of Man 41

Martin Luther. On the Jews and Their Lies (1543), published by Christian Nationalist Crusade, 1948. 26

could be interpreted to justify racial superiority and were taken to do so by many42. • Perhaps the most damaging blow historically for the Church was that its theology failed to provide the answers to challenging ideas that were being ushered in very fiercely – How could the Biblical age of earth be reconciled with geological time? What of the similarities between all living organisms, especially higher primates and human beings? How could the universe be expanding when it had already been created?43 It was not only scientific concepts that prompted a crisis of faith. It was religious practice itself. To follow in the footsteps of Christ was all well and good, but how? The extravagances of the bishops with their fine vestments were hardly representative of the humble Jesus, and liturgy itself became a point of contention. The problem was that there did not exist an authentic body of tradition that alluded to the teachings of Jesus himself. For instance, during prayer and worship, what would he actually say? In fact, it has yet to be decisively Although discredited by the late 20th Century, and not directly attributable to Darwin himself, the concept of Social Darwinism (where biological evolutionary ideas were extrapolated on to politics, economics and the social structure of society) was somewhat in circulation towards the end of the 19th Century - many historians and sociologists argue that these attitudes did impact negatively on policies regarding public health, welfare and colonialism. 43 There are some biblical references to the ‘stretching’ of the heavens, but this ‘stretching’, was understood to have been completed during the creation week on day four according to the text of Genesis. Passages like Isaiah 40:22 and 44:24 and others from Job, Psalm, Zechariah, and Jeremiah are sometimes translated in the present tense and sometimes in the past, showing eisegesis, but all original Hebrew words in their context show the ‘stretching’ to be a past completed action. 42

determined what language he spoke. Even his physical appearance remains obscure and entrenched in debate. As recent as the middle of the last century, it was inconceivable that the ‘Son of God’ could have been darker-skinned. More profoundly, the debate about the essence of divinity itself remained steeped in confusion; is God corporeal or ethereal? If the Father and the Son are both uncreated, how can the Father beget the Son? What does it really mean to be ‘one’ in essence but ‘three’ in person? Who or what is the third? What of those who lived before the Son was sent to earth and never had the opportunity to even acknowledge his existence – did he die for their sins too…? Unable to provide satisfactory answers, the Church left its followers somewhat directionless, and when presented with an alternative causality for life, many became completely disillusioned with their creed and readily abandoned faith altogether.

Chapter 4: The Islamic Perspective on the Evolution of non-Human Organisms The Qur’an states very clearly that all life originated from water44: “God has created every creature from water; of them are those that move on their bellies; and of them are those that walk on two legs; and of them are those that walk on four. God creates what He wills. Indeed, God is in all things perfectly capable.” 24:45 However, it does not provide, as it does with human creation, the same level of detail as to how animals, plants and the other kingdoms were made. Consequently, Islam accommodates a certain degree of latitude in opinion with reference to the existence of non-human organisms45, but with the understanding that whatever means by which they developed, it happened under the directive of Divine Command, as explained in the Qur’an: “Indeed your Lord does what He wants.” 11:107 Current scientific theory proposes that life began in Earth’s oceans; Accordingly, when space programs search for life, they search for evidence of water. 45 There is no Islamic text which explicitly negates the possibility of biological evolution in non-human organisms, and no theological objection or prohibition of belief in the concept if applied to non human organisms either - however, as discussed very briefly in the previous chapter, the theory of macroevolution, from a purely scientific perspective, in general remains deeply flawed and becomes even more problematic when applied to viruses - if the theory is to be considered viable, it has to account for all life across all Kingdoms. 44

In addition, geological time, indicating an old earth, is reflected in the following verse: “And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.’ They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’” 2:30 In this verse, the word ‘successive’ indicates that human beings inhabit the earth after other creatures. Both this phrase and the response of the angels suggest that the earth had been inhabited for a considerable length of time before human beings were placed on it. Furthermore, we find in the Qur’an: “And We did certainly create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six ayyaam, and no weariness touched Us.” 50:38 The word ayyaam can be understood as days, and it can also refer to longer periods of time. Ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ explained ayyaam as “days, but not like our days of the week.”46

Tafsir Ibn Abbas. 30

The traditional meaning of ayyaam is ‘a period of time’47, implying the passage of time, whether great or small. Subsequently, the existence of prehistoric organisms including hominids48 inhabiting the earth at various times in its older and earlier history prior to humans is not controversial from an Islamic perspective, and neither is the possibility of extra terrestrial life. What is without doubt, however, is the existence of a creator who has, by His attribute of creating, brought all that exists, living or non-living, visible or hidden, into existence. From the very opening of the Qur’an, the first verse of the first chapter reads: “All praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.” 1:2-3 The whole of creation, past and present, provides a relevant backdrop for a meaningful, purposeful, and stimulating life. From the Qur’an: “Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them is best in deeds.” 18:7 47

Lanes Lexicon of Arabic. Additionally, the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Arabic defines ayyaam as days, ages or eras. 48 Riddled with counter-theories, the hominid timeline shows that several species lived at the same time as each other, so descent would show even more branching and require drastically more perfect concomitant genetic change - in turn requiring an even greater leap of faith in theoretical evolutionary descent. 31

A life made to be spent in achieving the prime objective of worshipping the Creator - as explained in the Qur’an: “Do you (humans) not see that God has subjected to your service all that is in the heavens and on the earth and has abundantly bestowed upon you all His bounties, both visible and invisible. Yet among people are those who dispute about God…” 31:20 The method by which non-human organisms have come into existence is non-descript in Islam because it is not a major concern in terms of Islamic creed, since it does not in any way detract from the specific existential issue confronting humans – the reason for existence: the worship of God. Islam teaches that non-human biological organisms do not have a responsibility or accountability to God. They follow the law of their species, and their behavioural conduct does not carry the morality of right or wrong. Humans however, are different - our percipience is unique; freewill, formidable intellect, ethical dilemma, complex and differing language, artistic creativity, scientific inquiry, empathy, cooking, etc., are all specifically human characteristics and activities. The renowned physicist, William Phillips, reflects on the anomaly of human cognition quite movingly: “I find the fact of human consciousness and free will to be a strong argument for some sort of transcendence. If we truly have a free will, if our actions represent true choice and 32

not just results of biochemical reactions following deterministic or random processes, then where does that will come from? If there is only physics and chemistry, where does decision come from?”49 Rather more candidly, the accomplished theoretical physicist and mathematician, Eugene Wigner, commented: “Certainly it is hard to believe that our reasoning power was brought, by Darwin’s process of natural selection, to the perfection which it seems to possess.”50

Ordinary Science, Ordinary Faith – article written in 2001 for the Universite Interdisciplinaire de Paris. 50 An essay entitled ‘The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences’ (Communications In Pure and Applied Mathematics, vol. 13, No 1 (Feb 1960) New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). 49

Chapter 5: The Creation of Humans Islam teaches that Human beings are exclusive – the most distinguished of all of God’s creation on earth. From the Qur’an: “And certainly We have honoured the children of Adam, and carried them on the land and sea, and provided them with good things, and We have made them to excel with excellence over many of those We have created.” 17:70 The higher status and privilege that has been accorded to human beings and their ultimate purpose in life is of so great a significance, that it is reflected in the detail given about the creation of the first human, whereas no such description has been offered of other organisms. The Qur’an describes that two main substances, water and a type of dry soil, were used in the creation of Adam51: “And He (God) created man from water.” 25:54 “And of His signs is that He created you from a dry soil.” 30:20

Interestingly, in classical Arabic, the name ‘Adam’ means ‘human’ and also ‘very dark skinned’ suggestive of his complexion as well as his constitution, as explained by al-Tha’alabi in his book fiqh al-Lugha, also by Ibn Manzur in Lisan al-Arab. 51

It further describes the water and soil mix by a variety of terms, demonstrating that the creation of Adam was a process. One of the terms for this water and soil mix is ṭeen, which refers to mud or clay: “And certainly We did create man from an extract of clay.” 23:12 Another term for this mix is ṭeen-un laazib52, referring to something akin to sticky mud: “Indeed We created them (humans) from sticky mud.” 37:11 We are also told of a darker smooth mud or hama’in masnoon which on drying would make a reverberation if tapped, suggesting that the sticky mud had dried further until its smell and colour changed: “I will create a human being out of clay (ṣalṣaal) from an altered smooth black mud.” 15:28 The final composition and consistency, known as ṣalṣaal kal fakh-khaar, is a clay - like potters clay, which when moist can be moulded, and again, on drying makes an echo sound when tapped.

According to the rules of Qur’anic recictation, this word can also be pronounced as laazim. 52

“He created man from clay (ṣalṣaal) like that of pottery.” 55:14 Accordingly, since humans are in origin from the earth, there is a profound association between the two, with the ability to inhabit every terrestrial biome: “And among His (God’s) signs is this, that He created you from a (type of) soil and then behold you are humans, spread about.” 30:20 While eventually decomposing back into it: “From the earth We created you, and to it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.” 20:55 No other religious scripture describes so vividly the process of human emergence. This knowledge is an aspect of divine wisdom. The explicit narrative in the Qur’an, elaborated on in so many verses, impels us to develop our relationship with God, and answers the necessary questions and intrinsic concerns that we as human beings have about our origins. Further to this, God points out to those who doubt or deny His method of creation, that in reality they have no real means – other than speculation, to arrive at the facts, since no human was an active participant in the whole process, and cannot therefore know what transpired:

“I did not make them (humans) witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor the creation of their own selves.” 18:51 Even though human beings are distinct in many respects, basic organic similarities between humans and other organisms is a logical prerequisite for life on the same planet; sharing the same atmosphere with the same set of chemical elements. The physiological dependency on oxygen, water, nutrients, minerals, and the essential processes of decay and decomposition in a common environment, would indicate the wisdom in commonality. At a cellular level, biochemical reactions and metabolic pathways which govern life, require similar sets of genes and biomolecules which are shared by all living creatures. Whatever overlap between organisms exists; genetic, bio-molecular, physiological, and anatomical, indicates that all of creation is in essence harmonious and collective, exhibiting perfect suitability for life on Planet Earth. This is simply another presentation of Divine Wisdom – similarities concomitant with variance, all woven into the fabric of life. “Say, ‘God is the Creator of everything, and He is the One, the Omnipotent.’” 13:16

Having informed human beings of their primal origin, the Qur’an also outlines the embryological process of human creation, as an investigative proof for humans of God’s control over the entire matter. From the Qur’an: “Do they not contemplate about their own selves?” 30:8 “What is the matter with you, that you are not conscious of God’s Majesty, seeing that it is He who created you in diverse stages.” 71:13-14 “Indeed, We created humankind from a mingled nuṭfah.” 76:2 Nuṭfah53, in classical Arabic, refers to a singular entity from a bigger group of its kind. It can also mean a dribble, a leak, or a drop of liquid. Regarding human creation, nuṭfah is an accurate portrayal of the fact that a single sperm from many sperm released in a watery drop – semen – mingles with an egg released from many eggs, with the two combining to make one. The previous prevalent views at the time were:

Often used in reference to gold, a nuṭfah is a carat, while the plural form nuṭaf are carats. 38

• Human development simply involved enlargement of a preformed entity, which is in opposition to the Qur’anic statements of growth with elaboration: “I created you from dust, then from a nuṭfah, then from an ‘alaqah, then from a muḍghah, formed and unformed.”54 22:5 “Formed and unformed” outlines the correct understanding of differentiation with time. • Aristotle’s long standing explanation of the semen catalysing and coagulating menstrual blood55 to which Ibn Hajar al Asqalani, the renowned 14th century Muslim scholar stated, “Many anatomists claim that the semen of the male has no role in the baby’s creation. Its role they claim is limited to curdling menstrual blood from which man is born. However, this opinion is contradicted by the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬which indicate that the semen of the male actually participates equally with that of the female in the formation of the embryo.”56 The Qur’an continues:

The terms ‘alaqah and mudghah will be defined later on in this chapter. “…the secretion in females which answers to semen in males is the menstrual fluid, it obviously follows that the female does not contribute any semen to generation…” Aristotle, On the Generation of Animals. The female role in generation. 56 Fatah al Bary, explanation of Bukhari – Attitude of a Muslim Scholar at Human Embryology, Professor Ibrahim B. Syed, Islamic attitude and Practice in Science, Washington D.C. Feb/March 1987. 54 55

“Then We made him (the human being) a nuṭfah and lodged it in a safe place (the womb). Then We fashioned the drop into an ‘alaqah and transformed it into a muḍghah…” 23:14 ‘Alaqah has three meanings in classical Arabic; it can mean a suspended entity, a leech, or a blood clot57. The zygote – or the mingled drop as the Qur’an describes it – implants itself into the lining of the uterus where it remains suspended while it develops, and the word ‘alaqah describes this stage perfectly. The developing embryo is compared to a leech, which it not only resembles at this stage, but also in how it obtains its nourishment, by drawing it in from the area to which it is attached. The third meaning, if applied, describes another aspect of its external appearance; the presence of relatively large amounts of blood in the embryo yolk sac, giving rise to a blood clot like appearance. Muḍghah in Arabic can mean something that has been chewed, or something which is small. The somites on the developing embryo at this stage resemble teeth or bite marks, with the entire structure being no more than a centimetre or so. “Then We fashioned the muḍghah into bones, and clothed the bones with flesh, and brought it out as 57

Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-Arab. 40

another creation. So blessed be God, the best of Creators.” 23:14 The verse here accurately describes the sequence in which the skeletal and muscular systems develop. In the embryo, formation of the sclerotome precedes the myotome. “He makes you in the wombs of your mothers in stages, in three veils of darkness.” 39:6 “Three veils of darkness” is explained as three distinct stages representing the trimesters, or three layers corresponding to the abdominal wall, the uterine wall, and the amniochorionic membrane. The whole process of epigenesis, which is effectively what the Qur’an in its own distinct manner of language describes, was only finally accepted by the mid eighteenth century, after Wolff conclusively refuted preformation – a thousand years after the Qur’an was revealed. As knowledge progresses, and we generally become more aware of the science behind the systems being described, the subtlety and accuracy of the original Qur’anic explanations become more fully appreciable. The human being however, is not simply a physical organic creature. Islam teaches that there is another component to it – the soul. 41

God, in His wisdom, has chosen to elaborate on the primal origin of humans, and their physical formation during gestation – but the soul is an area of knowledge that remains discrete. From the Qur’an: “And they ask you [O Muhammad ‫ ] ﷺ‬about the soul. Say, ‘The soul is one of the affairs of my Lord. And mankind has not been given knowledge, except a little.’” 17:85 Human understanding and achievement in science, medicine and technology has progressed steadily, but as for the soul – we have nothing more than what came before. Regarding the first human soul, the Qur’an describes its placement: “And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human (Adam) from sounding clay of altered smooth black mud. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then all of you fall in prostration58 to him.” 38:71-72 Every human being is given a soul as the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained: “Indeed the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days. It is therein 58

A single prostration of respect commanded by God at that instant, and not a prostration of worship. Prostrations for any reason other than to worship God are strictly prohibited by Islam. 42

a clinging object for a same period. Thereafter, it is a lump looking like it has been chewed for another same period… Then an angel is sent to blow his soul into him.”59 Ensoulment takes place 120 days after fertilisation. Interestingly, the eminent neurophysiologist, John Eccles, concluded after years of his own research: “Since materialist solutions fail to account for our experienced uniqueness, I am constrained to attribute the uniqueness of the self or soul to a supernatural spiritual creation. To give the explanation in theological terms: each soul is a new divine creation which is implanted into the growing foetus at some time between conception and birth.”60 Alongside humans, two other creatures have been given prominence in the grand scheme of life: the angels and the jinn; both of which exist in the world of the unseen.

59 60

Bukhari. Eccles, J. Evolution of the Brain: Creation of the Self. Routledge, 1989. p.237. 43

Chapter 6: The World of the Unseen In the modern world, the world of the angels and the jinn is relegated to the pseudoscience of parapsychology, thrown in with all the other alleged forms of the paranormal including extrasensory perception like psycho-kinesis, clairvoyance, precognition, prediction, apparitional claims – an endless list of abilities seemingly beyond explanation, but all of which, according to Islamic theology are directly attributable to the activities of the jinn. Mainstream science excludes all aspects of parapsychology since it remains beyond validation by scientific method – much of its evidence being anecdotal or fraudulent, with most scientists preferring to negate its existence for fear of ridicule and damage to their reputation. However, some very accomplished scientists have dared to approach the subject on the basis that persistent anomalous experiences globally, warrant at least some acknowledgement and it would be reckless to completely dismiss them. The mathematician Alan Turing stated: “I assume that the reader is familiar with the idea of extrasensory perception… These disturbing phenomena seem to deny all our usual scientific ideas. How we should like to discredit them!... It is very difficult to rearrange one’s ideas so as to fit these new facts in. Once one has

accepted them it does not seem a very big step to believe in ghosts and bogies.”61 Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology noted: “Such a mass of irrefutable evidence exists, however, that we cannot overlook these phenomena….the existence of such things is only denied by those who are determined to prove their own theories….they simply ignore everything that does not fit in with them.”62 More recently, the theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson writes: “The hypothesis that paranormal phenomena are real, but lie outside the limits of science, is supported by a great mass of evidence.”63 Al Ghayb – The Unseen Narrative pertaining to the angels, the jinn, and likewise the creation of Adam, the soul, eschatology, and topics related to the afterlife such as the Day of Judgement, Paradise, and Hell, are all issues which Islam calls alghayb – the unseen. al-Ghayb is a collective term for any matter in Islam which is beyond the reach of human investigation. Only divine revelation provides information about the unseen, and so we are expected to stay within this defined parameter of knowledge. This curbs both the spread of superstitious paranoia and obsessive pursuit of Turing, A.M. Computing Machinery and Intelligence. Jung, C.J. Clairvoyance, Ghosts and Spirits, and Mandalas. 63Freeman Dyson’s review of “Debunked: ESP, Telekinesis and Other Pseudoscience” Georges Charpak and Henri Broch. New York Review of Books, March 2004. 61 62

delving into issues which are not by any method more accessible. Islam has revealed enough of what is required of the unseen matters for human beings to have a working knowledge of these affairs – the rest belongs to God: “With Him (God) are the keys of the unseen, no one knows them except Him. He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls except that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” 6:59 In reference to the angels and jinn, Islam presents its own very specific corpus of information, belief in which forms an integral part of Islamic creed. God creates whatever He wishes by whatever method He wills. Everything created must fulfil its purpose, irrespective of human understanding of that role or appreciation of its significance in the overall construct of life. Whilst most organisms are constrained by the law of their species, three creatures in particular have been singled out for a more noble and meaningful existence beyond that of instinct – the angels, the jinn, and human beings. These three are fundamentally different from each other. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained: 46

“The angels were created from light; the jinn were created from fire; and man was created from what has been described to you.”64 The Angels Angels in their original form, cannot be seen by humans and their exact nature or manner of their creation has not been disclosed, but the Qur’an states: “All praise is due to God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, who made the angels messengers having wings: two, three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, God is able to do all things.” 35:1 There is nothing farcical about angels possessing wings – winged organisms are perfectly common in our own realm of existence among both vertebrates and invertebrates. It is simply the case that God has chosen to fashion and beautify these beings in this way. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬

described them further:

“The angels are neither male nor female, they neither eat nor drink. They do not marry, nor do they have children.”65 The angels are noble beings created solely for the worship and servitude of God. They do not possess free

64 65

Muslim. Ibn Hajr. 47

will and therefore cannot disobey Him66. From the Qur’an: “They (angels) exalt [Him] night and day [and] they do not slacken.” 21:20 Since they are perfectly obedient, Islam totally rejects the idea of rebellious and fallen angels, outcast and punished for deciding to act according to their own judgement. In fact, the angels openly profess that they only know what has been given to them by God. From the Qur’an: “They (the angels) said ‘Exalted are You [God]. We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.’” 2:32 They carry out the commands of God with precise perfection, having been endowed with the capability to do whatsoever is commanded of them. Their glorification of God and fulfilment of their particular tasks is the purpose of their creation. From the Qur’an: “[The angels say], ‘There is not any among us except that he has a known position. And indeed we are those who line up (for prayer). And indeed we are those who glorify God.’” 37:164-166 Although the Angels do not disobey God, they do possess the ability to comprehend, question, and answer, as is clearly demonstrated by many verses in the Qur’an. 66

“By those [angels] lined up in rows and those who drive [the clouds] and those who recite the message.” 37:1-3 Angels are involved intimately with the dynamics of the cosmos and life on earth, with some angels being more prominent than others. To mention a few: The Angel Gabriel He is the most superior of the angels, and is entrusted with the conveyance of the divine message to the chosen prophet of the time. He has been honoured with various titles; ‘The Spirit’, The Trustworthy Spirit’, ‘The Possessor of Strength and Beauty’, and ‘The Holy Spirit’67. From the Qur’an: “And [the Qur’an] is surely revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. The Trustworthy Spirit [Gabriel] has brought it down to your heart (O Muhammad), in order that you might be one of the warners; in clear Arabic speech.” 26:192-195 The Angel Mikā’eel The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬informed us that the Angel Mikā’eel is in charge of the plants and the rain.68

67 68

The biblical concept of the Holy Spirit is discussed in Chapter 10. Tabarani. 49

The Guardian Angels These angels are instructed to protect from whatever evil or mishap that God wants to save the individual from: “For each (person) there are angels in succession in front of him and behind him, who guard him by God’s command.” 13:11 The Recording Angels These angels are assigned to each and every human being, recording a person’s speech and actions precisely; every individual being held responsible before God for whatever he says or does. From the Qur’an: “But certainly, over you are protecting angels; honourable; scribes. They know that which you do.” 82:10-12 “Not a word does [man] utter except that with him is an observer, ready (to record it).” 50:18 The recording of deeds is a strange concept to many nonMuslims but it has also been mentioned in the New Testament; Revelation 20:12: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” 50

The Angel of Death When a person’s appointed time to die has come, the angels under the charge of this noble angel are instructed to pull out the soul of the human. From the Qur’an: “Say, ‘The Angel of Death who is set over you will take your souls, then you shall be brought to your Lord.’” 32:11 Angels in General In Islam, the angels are accorded so high a rank and are so well respected, that belief in their existence and description is an article of faith. From the Qur’an: “The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in God, His angels, and His messengers.” 2:285 But despite their strength and position, they are not worthy of devotion and not capable of answering prayers and supplications. To direct any form of worship to them or call upon them in times of need or distress is an outright form of polytheism, and totally rejected by Islam. Importantly, whereas Christian angelology describes Satan as a fallen cherub69, Islam completely rejects this. Satan is from another category of creatures – the jinn. 69

Ezekiel 28:14. 51

The Jinn The jinn have been described in the Qur’an and more extensively by the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬. From the Qur’an: “Indeed, We created man from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire.” 15:26-27 The Arabic word jinn is derived from the verb janna which means ‘to hide’ or ‘to conceal’. As their name suggests, the jinn in their natural state are hidden from human sight. There is nothing particularly difficult in believing that some creatures are imperceptible to the naked eye – for instance, microorganisms are not ordinarily visible, even though they make up the largest numbers of any life form known. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ the jinn:

gave a basic description of

“There are three types of jinn. One type flies through the air, another type that are snakes and dogs70 and a third is based in one place but travels about.”71 Islam teaches that the jinn are distinct creatures with lives, life parameters, and deaths of their own. They live 70

Some jinn take the form of snakes and dogs. Not all jinn do this and of course not all snakes or all dogs are jinn. The jinn can take the form of other animals too, as Ibn Taymiyah, among others, mentioned. 71 Al-Tahhaawi in Mushkil al–Athaar, 4/95. 52

on earth in their own dimension or realm, which is generally beyond our comprehension but can interconnect. They are not tormented spirits of the forlorn deceased, languishing somewhere in the afterlife and visiting earth to put right the wrongs done to them, nor are they revenant souls of ‘saintly’ people guiding and helping their devotees. They are simply a created life-form, along with other organisms that inhabit our planet, with needs and abilities similar and dissimilar to our own. It is because of some of their certain abilities that they have been deified into gods or revered spirits by belief philosophies of the ancients and pagans – but in reality there is nothing divine or unusual about different creatures possessing abilities beyond the human norm, even animals low in classification do. According to Islamic theology, the jinn are not divine in any way. They possess free will and while some have greater strength and speed than humans, they appear to have an inferior intellect. Their physical appearance is varied, and their temperament is generally considered to be impetuous. They tend to reside in uninhabited, desolate or filthy places72. Because they possess free will, they have the capacity to choose between right and wrong and so are held accountable for their actions. Regarding their attributed divinity and personal accountability; from the Qur’an:

Cemeteries, abandoned houses, forests, deserts, toilets, sewers, cesspits, pig stys etc. Ibn Taymiayya’s Essay on the Jinn. 53

“And they (polytheists) made a kinship between Him (God) and the jinn, but the jinn know well that they will be brought (before God to be called to account).” 37:158 Jinn can be good or wicked and those that commit evil are traditionally referred to as devils or demons, but whatever name they are given; elementals, creatures of the night, hybrid creatures, ghosts, ghouls, spirits, shapeshifters, skin walkers, shadow people, shedim, etc.; every culture and civilisation without exception has some narrative, usually as folklore, regarding them, whilst common and recurring experiences throughout recorded history also allude to their traits and activities. Death metal music and scenarios typified by the horror and science fiction genres; haunted houses with strange noises or voices and where objects move around, or the rather ostensible demonic possessions where the afflicted develops erratic behaviour, super strength and speaks in an abnormal voice or in tongues, or alien abductions into surreal environments, all draw their inspiration from the macabre and sinister manifestation of the jinn. Interestingly, because of the sheer volume of paraphysical sightings and reports, in an attempt to make sense of it, and give it a more scientific and respectable platform away from the absurdity of myth and legend, a surmise has been put forth chiefly by the astrophysicists Jacques Vallee and J. Allen Hynek called the ‘Interdimensional Hypothesis’.

Interdimensional hypothesis postulates that other dimensions or realities coexist separately alongside our own. The distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan, who did not believe in the paranormal himself, explained: “If a fourth dimensional creature existed, it would in our three dimensional universe, appear and dematerialise at will, change shape remarkably, pull us out of locked rooms and make us appear from nowhere” He also suggested that their voice, if they could talk would appear to come from nowhere73. The theoretical physicist Michio Kaku elaborates on this: “Anyone who can tap into the fourth spatial dimension (or what is today called the fifth dimension, with time being the fourth dimension) can indeed become invisible and can even assume the powers normally ascribed to ghosts and gods.”74 The fascination that we hold for the jinn never diminishes and in modern times this is reflected in an explosion in the number of T.V. shows, films, and books which popularise themes based on this other world. However, the topic of the jinn in Islam is serious since their existence is consequential to human life. Islam strictly forbids any voluntary interaction with the jinn, whether they are good or evil, since such interaction is always detrimental in effect. When human beings seek

73 74

Sagan, C. Cosmos. Ballantine Books. Ch. The Edge of Forever. Kaku, M. Parallel Worlds. Anchor. 55

out this communion, in order to affect others, it is known in Arabic as siḥr. Siḥr is defined as the influence over an event or an act which makes a thing appear in a form other than its real one, and by concealing the cause of such an event or act, the intention is to distort the reality of it and to deceive by it. In English, siḥr would equate to ceremonial or ritual magic, sorcery, the occult, plus other things which are usually associated with the paranormal or the supernatural – and the jinn are inextricably linked to them all. Peculiar eerie sightings of non-physical entities, or strange inexplicable incidents tend to be a rare occurrence, but are rampant in areas in which the jinn engage with humans via the occult practices of ceremonial magic75 and necromancy, both of which have been expressly forbidden in the Old and New Testament prior to their prohibition in the Qur’an76. Regardless of its origin (such as Babylonian, Egyptian, or Mayan magic), name (such as Enochian, Wicca, Thelemic, Kabbalah, or Santeria), or method (such as incantation, tantras, symbols, or gestures), and regardless of the form of the magic (such as voodoo, divination, astrology, or sex magic), and whether it is regarded as ‘white’77 or ‘black’78 magic – it all involves contractual 75

Ceremonial or ritual magic and not stage magic which employs the use of gimmicks, camera trickery and sleight of hand to produce illusionary effects. 76 See Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27, Revelation 21:8, Galatians 5:20. 77 Islam makes no distinction between white or black magic – its source is the same. 56

alliances with the jinn, better described as Theistic or Spiritual Satanism – which Islam regards as an act of disbelief. Once contact has been made via the signals, symbols, or codes which the jinn recognise, the jinn enter into an agreement with the occultist. As part of this agreement, the jinn demand that the occultist engage in sacrilegious, detestable, or violent acts, in exchange for their services. In the case of necromancy. Islamic theology flatly rejects the notion of dead human souls yearning to commune with the living or participating in any way with life on earth. When the spiritualist or medium seems to summon the soul of the deceased, it is none other than the evocated mischievous jinn playing along, pretending to be the discarnate soul. Again, for the jinn to cooperate in this way, the necromancer will often be in collusion with the jinn, paying back through perverse devotional rituals that please the jinn. Islam clearly informs us that the souls of the deceased enter another realm of existence, known as al-Barzakh (The Barrier); a domain which is completely separate and cut off from the life of this world. From the Qur’an: “Until when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with God), he says ‘My Lord, send me back, so that I may do good in that which I left behind.’ No – it is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is a barzakh (barrier) until the Day when they are raised up.” 23:99-100 78

Often called left magic. 57

The very name al-Barzakh (The Barrier) emphasises an impassable border, incommunicable from either side; from the living to the deceased or the deceased to the living. The souls of the dead enter the barzakh where they await The Day of Judgement. The barzakh is not under the exact constraints of time and space, as is understood with respect to human existence on earth. As the human-jinn association becomes more involved, the jinn increasingly impose more sacrilegious devotion, which perfectly conforms to all the components of idolatry - the pure antithesis of Islam. The mystic author Manly P. Hall, through years of his own research and experiences, gives an interesting description of magic and sorcery in The Secret Teachings of All Ages: “The visible universe has an invisible counterpart, the higher planes of which are peopled by good and beautiful spirits, the lower planes, dark and foreboding, are the habitation of evil spirits and demons under the leadership of the Fallen Angel…ceremonial magic is the ancient art of invoking and controlling spirits… a magician could by the power vested in certain words and symbols control the invisible inhabitants of the elements and of the astral world…true black magic is performed with the aid of demonical spirits…by means of the secret processes of ceremonial magic it is possible to contact these invisible creatures and gain their help in some human undertaking…it is possible to make contracts with spirits…the demons are following these magicians for the length of their earthly life, they don’t need to be invoked every time they need to move objects for the ‘magician’…the majority of modern mediumistic 58

apparitions are but elemental creatures masquerading through bodies composed of thought substance supplied by the very persons desiring to behold these wraiths of decarnate [sic] beings…while the black magician at the time of signing his pact with the elemental demon may be fully convinced that he is strong enough to control indefinitely the powers placed at his disposal, he is speedily undeceived...a world of horrors to which he has attuned himself by his own covetousness looms nearer every day…many a magician lost his life as the result of opening a way whereby sub-mundane creatures could become active participants in his affairs…a black magician will go to inconceivable ends to prolong his physical life since there is nothing for him beyond the grave…the magician commits crime after crime to prolong his wretched life”79. In any case, the reality of the jinn and their tangibility in whatever form it expresses is neither awe inspiring or alarming, as this information has always been disclosed by Islam, with strict rules in place to avoid any contact with them. Additionally, acknowledging the existence of the jinn – which are considered by Islam to be regular creatures, and understanding their behaviour and activities demystifies the phenomena of paranormal activity (including ritual magic), providing a lucid and rational explanation for it, which otherwise remains totally unintelligible.

Hall, Manley P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopaedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolic Philosophy. 59

Islamically speaking, any truly inexplicable feat deemed paranormal is not in reality the result of an extraordinary power on the part of the human individual, but an assistance by the jinn to seemingly impart on the occultist a preternatural ability. The apparent benefit to the practitioner is fame and wealth but the motive of the jinn for this unholy alliance is far more sinister than mere material gain. Satan and the Enmity of the Jinn Although Christian tradition differs with Islam on Satan’s origin, both faiths clarify that Satan (or Iblees as he is known in Islamic theology), is a real entity – not an alter ego of the human psyche, or a metaphor for immorality and evil, or allegorical for capitalism and consumerism. The concept of Satan as an individual has slowly been eroded away in Christian teaching, but the current Pope, Francis, in one of the first homilies of his papacy stated: “In this generation, like so many others, people have been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figment, an idea, the concept of evil but the devil exists and we must fight him.”80 He continues, further explaining: “Maybe his [Satan’s] greatest achievement in these times has been to make us believe that he does not exist”81. He also referred to Satan as a ‘being’ whilst Benedict XVI, the previous Pope said: “Whatever the less discerning theologians may say, the devil, as far as Christian belief is concerned, is a puzzling but real, personal and not 80 81

October 30 2014, Homily at St Martha’s house, Vatican City. Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the Twenty first Century. 60

merely symbolic presence.”82 The Church of England even more so tends to dispose of a literal Satan, and recently dropped all mention of him from baptism liturgy83, but the New Testament cites an episode; the temptation of Christ by Satan in the Judean Desert, with Jesus reportedly conversing with the devil – consonant with Satan being an individual and not an idea or symbol. Satan has a longstanding hatred towards human beings. When the first human was created, the angels and an individual from the jinn who was included in their gatherings, and would later come to be known as Iblees84, were commanded by God to prostrate before Adam as a sign of respect. Various verses relate the entire event, from the Qur’an: “And remember when We said to the angels; ‘Prostrate85 to Adam’. So they prostrated except Iblees. He was one of the jinn, and he disobeyed the command of his Lord.” 18:50 “(God) said ‘What prevented you (Iblees) from prostrating when I commanded you?’ Iblees said ‘I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire and You created him from clay.’” 7:12

Spirit Daily – April 26, 2005. Anglican General Synod, July 2014. 84 The name Iblees comes from the root alabalas meaning to be in ruin. In Ecclesiastical Greek, Satan is called diabolos. 85 A prostration of respect only, and not of worship or submission. 82 83

Ibn Abbas86 explained: “Before he undertook the path of sin, Iblees was [honoured by keeping company] with the angels and his name was Azaazeel. He was one of the most active worshippers and very knowledgeable. This caused him to become arrogant.”87 Whilst Satan’s fanciful superiority complex might seem trivial, it in fact constituted a colossal and unparalleled act of disobedience – to flout a direct command of God while in His sacred presence and challenge His wisdom, was tantamount to rejection of God Himself and was met with an accordingly stern punishment: “(God) said “Get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those disgraced.” 7:13 Upon hearing his fate, instead of rescinding and appealing to God’s mercy and forgiveness through reproach and contrition, Satan descended further into insolence. Refusing to take responsibility for his own actions he vowed to God to exact revenge on the perceived cause of his loss – humans: “(Iblees) said ‘O my Lord, because you misled me, I shall certainly beautify the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth and I shall mislead them all.’” 15:39 Ibn Abbas was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ scholars of the Qur’an. 87 Tabari 1:502. 86

and one of the early

Satan then requested that the punishment for his own disobedience be delayed allowing him time to enact his vindictive plan: “(Iblees) said ‘O my Lord, give me respite then until the Day when they (the dead) will be resurrected.’ (God) said ‘Certainly, you are of those reprieved (for a while). Until the Day of the time appointed.” 15:36-38 Iblees’ request was granted because that is what he chose for himself and God allows the right to choose, but whatever transpires does not escape the will of God, so in fact, Satan, by his disobedience becomes the agent by which God tests humans. His inevitable destiny however is punishment, for all the wrong he has committed. His first victims were the first two human beings: “Then the Satan (Iblees) made them (Adam and Eve) slip from there (Paradise) and caused them to be removed from (the condition) in which they had been.” 2:36 The chief of the evil jinn, Iblees (Satan), along with his acolytes exert their effect by the art of subtlety and influence. The devils whisper notions of disbelief and disobedience against God into the hearts of humans. Their seduction is always presented in a deceitful and captivating manner so the sin is made to look charming or necessary. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained:

“Satan88 is stuck to the heart of the human, but if he (the human) remembers God, then Satan withdraws from whispering evil into the heart.”89 Further explaining: “God will forgive my followers for any insinuating whispers that may cross their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”90 Constant allurement from satanic forces entices and lures the human being into action, which always takes the form of acts that displease God. From the Qur’an: “O you who believe, do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, whoever follows in the footsteps of Satan [should know] that he only commands to immorality and evil”. 24:21 Deservingly stripped of his dignity, expelled and exiled from Paradise, cast out from God’s mercy, and thus fuelled by envy, malice and spite, Satan’s blinding ambition and strategy is to separate as many human beings (whom he blames for his downfall) from God and drag them to Hell: “Certainly Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his party [to wrongdoing] so that they too become companions of the blazing Fire.” 35:6 88

Islamically the word satan is generic for any evil jinn or devil whilst the proper noun Satan refers to Iblees. 89 Bukhari. 90 Bukhari and Muslim. 64

In Islamic theology, this is the constant struggle between good and evil that unfolds here on earth - strictly and exclusively between humans and the devil jinn. This struggle is not, and has never been waged as a War in Heaven, or between Satan and God. “And do not let Satan hinder you (human beings) [from the right path], he is certainly your plain enemy.” 43:62 Every human being is exposed to the undertones of Satan. To succumb to his insinuations is sinful, yet at the same time pardonable. What embodies an abomination however, is to obey or worship the jinn in return for enlisting their services. Theistic Satanism, in whatever guise, is considered one of the major sins91 in Islam. The conflict between humans and jinn is fairly evenly matched - humans with their intellect and jinn with their deception. But correct theological knowledge, faith and worship, conjugated with good deeds nourishes the soul and propels humans to a position far superior than the jinn, enabling them to readily ward off their evil influence. The dialogue between God and Satan ends with great hope for those who endeavour to obey Him. From the Qur’an:

There are particular sins in Islam which are so grave that they are categorized as major sins, some of them are; polytheism, witchcraft, murder, usury, usurping the orphan’s wealth, etc. 65

“(God) said ‘This is the Way which will lead straight to Me. Certainly you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the astray.” 15:42 Free Will and Evil God has endowed both humans and jinn with the attribute of free will92 – the ability to discern, decide, and choose a course of action, which may be good or evil; all within the framework of God’s knowledge, control and power. Without the ability to exercise choice, accountability for one’s own actions becomes meaningless Christian theology descends into confusion with the concept of evil, and theodicy in particular - the basic premise being: If God is good, how could He create evil? To reconcile the apparent paradox many explanations have been put forward throughout the centuries with no real resolve. Islam takes a very different and logical attitude. Since God is the Creator of everything, it follows that He has created both good and evil. God creates whatever He wishes without apology and this is His entitlement. “Say ‘God is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing.’” 13:16

In this context, the free will being discussed is primarily that of morality and not just the general concept of self-determination. 92

Additionally, because free will, in terms of morality, necessitates a choice be made between good and evil, so both good and evil must exist as part of creation. The angels, who do not possess free will - cannot commit evil and so it does not exist in their interactions and in the unfolding of their lives. The creation of evil does not imply that God is evil; rather, there is a difference between what God loves to happen, and what He wills to happen. He loves nothing but good, but He permits evil to happen as part of His infinite wisdom and the requisite of free will. It is necessary to understand that evil is not created for evil’s sake – every single evil act has a perfect wisdom behind it, the complete knowledge of which remains with God and which is not entirely or sometimes even partially comprehensible to us. How often has the impetus for good been a wrongdoing. For instance, in the rebellion of Iblees, there are valuable lessons – the granting of his request for a delay in his punishment was not evil, but what Satan subsequently did with his reprieve is evil and knowing how he became to be what he is, illustrates how arrogance and pride lead to tyranny and oppression. It also demonstrates that honesty and humility are virtues that constantly need reviewing and that no one with free will is incorruptible irrespective of their rank or piety. In his rebellion we also learn what his intentions are for us, and we can thereby take the necessary precautions to deflect his attack.

Satan was not created evil – he chose to exercise evil, acting on base desires, which by creation existed within him, but which he did not reign in on. So it is essentially the misuse of free will that leads to evil, and naturally, according to the principle of cause and effect, wrongdoing carries with it consequences: “Corruption (evil, sins, crime) has appeared on the land and seas because of what the hands of men have earned – That God may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return [to God in repentance].” 30:41 The fact that humans possess the ability to pursue desires and intentions is perfectly in accordance with the purpose and test of life - and integral to life on earth is that some people, sadly, do choose to commit evil, which God allows (according to His wisdom) but hates and warns against. In the Qur’an: “Or do those who do evil deeds think they can escape Us? (My punishment). Evil it is how they judge.” 29:4 The Qur’an explains that evil emerges from two sources: Firstly, from Satan: “And if an evil whisper comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge with God”. 7:200 68

Secondly, from the soul itself: “Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil except those upon whom my Lord has mercy. Certainly my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.” 12:53 Without wrongdoing there is no possibility for repentance and change – both of which are highly virtuous and esteemed acts according to Islam, and despite the opportunity and potential to commit evil, God commands abstention from it and provides humans (and jinn) with every means at their disposal to reject it; the divine message that directs and educates, a discerning mind with a moral conscience which restrains, and a repertoire of emotions which if cultivated correctly will overpower ill intentions and desires: “[He has inspired the soul] to an awareness of what is corruption and [and what is] righteousness”. 91:8

Chapter 7: The Concept of God in Islam Generally, there are three methods by which humans can come to know things; firstly by direct experience, secondly by comparative analogy, and thirdly by information from a reliable source - the first two techniques are inoperable on God, leaving only the third. Humans have no method themselves by which they can acquire an accurate and detailed concept of God, unless He Himself provides the relevant information, and it would be unreasonable to expect humans to love and worship Him without knowing who He is – very simply, as Dostoyevsky noted: “One cannot love what one does not know.”93 Subsequently, theology is the most important aspect of Islamic creed. Biblical depiction of God is confusing - in the Old Testament He seems to be anthropomorphic, whilst in the New Testament He is ethereal: “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” Genesis 3:8 “God is Spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 93

Dostoyevsky, F. Demons. 70

Islam informs us that God is corporeal but it does not delve into discussing His physicality, since it teaches that it is not within the scope of human intellect to perceive the Creator absolutely. Nor can the human mind imagine or envisage God, because there is nothing that resembles Him in any way. From the Qur’an: “There is nothing like Him, He is the All Hearer, the All Seer.” 42:11 For these reasons God has chosen not to reveal these and certain other aspects about Himself, instead providing sufficient information relevant to human beings which they can work with - so, rather than His physique, Islam concentrates on particular attributes, which are collectively known in the Qur’an as the Most Perfect Names: “The most perfect names belong to God, so call on Him by them.” 7:180 Emphasis on God’s attributes rather than His substance helps the worshipper to develop a meaningful relationship with Him. Knowing who God is – in preference of what He is - leads to a more worthwhile understanding which cultivates the essential feelings of love, hope, and fear – emotions towards God, which Islam strongly promotes.

The sentiments of love and hope are generally well understood by monotheists, but the emotion of fear is sometimes perplexing in light of divine mercy. An attitude of fear is not meant to imply that God is malicious or vindictive – God cannot be so because He is perfectly just and gracious, and attributes of spite are diametrically opposed to the condition of justice. The fear element in a relationship with God primarily springs from deep love and respect. A sign of true love is that a person fears to disappoint their beloved – so how much more would a person fear to displease their Creator. Additionally the magnificence and power of God, when truly recognized, deserves a rational fear born from awe. In a balanced combination, love, hope, and fear nurture a consciousness of God that enables humans to live their daily lives infused with worship, without having to resort to monasticism or extreme asceticism to achieve devotion. The Most Perfect Names The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬stated that “God has ninety-nine names94; whoever attains comprehensive knowledge of them will enter Paradise.”95 It is really not possible to convey the beauty and subtlety of these names and attributes into other languages from the original Classical Arabic, which is a polysemous 94

The names of God are not restricted to ninety-nine only, the intention behind specifying ninety-nine is the encouragement of studying and applying the more common ones. There are of course names and attributes of God which He has not chosen to disclose. 95 Muslim. 72

language. Most names carry meanings that have related nuances, making them descriptions rather than names96 but basic translations impart an understanding of what is meant. All of Gods names are descriptive and not merely nominal or honorary. Each epithet is always preceded by the definite article ‘The’97 and when translated into English, they are usually accompanied by a superlative word or suffix98 such as the word ‘most’ or the suffix ‘est’. For example, God is described as ‘The Most Merciful’99 or ‘The Greatest’100. Sometimes two names are conjoined and this arrangement serves to emphasise the relationship between the two attributes, for example God is The Ever Living-the Sustainer of All101. The grammatical construction of the Most Perfect Names conveys the principle that the attribute being described is present in the highest degree possible and unique to its possessor. For instance, mercy is a quality exhibited to varying degrees in most people, but the perfection of mercy in its expression, quality, and quantity belongs only to God.

For instance the name al-Lateef, often translated as The Subtle or The Kind is derived from latf which carries meanings of kindness, gentility, and discreteness – implying that God is the One who disposes of the most minute of affairs with a delicateness that is not even perceptible. 97 ‘al’ in Arabic 98 The superlative word or suffix indicated by the Arabic word ‘al’ which precedes each name holds a more comprehensive and significant meaning than its English equivalent of “The”. 99 Al-Rehmaan in Arabic. 100 Al-Akbar in Arabic. 101 Al-Hayyul -Qayuum in Arabic. 73

The Qur’an tells us that God is al-Khāliq, The Creator – He is the creator of all that exists, He has made everything either directly: “Certainly His Command, if He wills a thing, is only to say to it, “Be!” and it is.” 36:82 Or indirectly, by endowing His creatures with the ability to effectuate: “And God created you and whatever you do.” 37:96 By definition a creator is the one who causes something to exist or brings something into being102. God, being The Creator, has brought everything into existence whilst He Himself is uncreated, distinct and different from His creation. The intellect cannot truly grasp this concept and so Satan uses it relentlessly in creating doubt and confusion, especially with the argument of infinite regress. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained: “Satan will come to you and ask, “who created so and so?” and will keep on asking until Satan [eventually] asks “and who created your Lord?” When it reaches this stage, then seek protection with God (from the plots of Satan) and stop thinking about it.”103 The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬further explained: When human beings ‘create’, they do so from raw materials already in existence and present – this is an act of transformation rather than true creation. 103 Bukhari. 102

“God existed when there was nothing apart from Him or before Him”.104 He ‫ ﷺ‬would also say: “O God, You are the First and there is nothing before You; O God, You are the Last and there is nothing after You.”105 Because this aspect of God is so unique and beyond human comprehension, the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ instructed: “Reflect upon God’s creation and do not reflect upon [the essence of] God.”106 Tied closely to the attribute of creation is the name al-Muṣawwir, The Fashioner, because He creates and fashions the entity in accordance with complete wisdom, for He is al-Ḥakīm, The Most Wise: “It is He Who fashions you in the wombs as He wishes. There is no God except Him, The Ever Mighty, The Most Wise.” 3:6 Even though humans are an honoured creation of God, there is yet another part of creation which is more grand. The Qur’an states:

104

ibid. Bukhari. 106 ibid. 105

“Are you (humans) a more difficult creation or is the heaven107? [It is God who] constructed it.” 79:27 Because of its status and prestige, the Qur’an repeatedly draws attention to the skies and the universe, explaining that the universe had a beginning and is singular in origin: “Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were ratqan and We ripped them apart, and We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” 21:30 The adverb ratqan108 means something which is joined together or sewn up as one, implying a single entity and it also means something which is totally dark109. The ‘ripping apart’ or in its original Arabic fataqa, means ripping apart with great force. In another verse, the intimate relationship between the earth and nebula is indicated: “Then He (God) directed Himself to the heaven while it was dukhān and said to it, and to the earth ‘Come both, willingly or by compulsion.’ They both said, ‘We come willingly’”. 41:11 107

The Arabic word is al-Samaa, which was always traditionally translated as the heaven, i.e. what exists above the earth. A modern equivalent would be “space”. 108 Lane, E.W. Arabic – English Lexicon. Islamic Text Society, William & Norgate, Cambridge. 109 Interestingly, the early universe is calculated as being dark or opaque. 76

Dukhaan means smoke, fume or vapour110 - essentially a gaseous matter, but it can only be used to describe hot gas. Muslim scholars were only ever able to define the precise meanings of the aforementioned words without offering any scientific context to the verses because of the limitations in discovery. Current universe formation theory states that all matter in the universe came into existence from a single and extremely hot origin with great forces involved. The words ratqan, dukhān and the ‘ripping’ can now be better envisioned in light of advances in scientific knowledge. The Qur’an also states that the universe is expanding: “And the heavens We created with power, and We are expanding it.” 51:47 The above verse is very interesting in that the word used for “[We are] expanding [it]” in the original Arabic text is moosi’oona – this is the active voice of the verb “to expand” or “to widen” and is used in the present tense demonstrating that the expansion of the universe is an ongoing and continuous process. Only in 1929 was the universe recognized to be expanding, and so again the scientific accuracy of the verse can be better acknowledged, but the true grandeur and magnitude of the universe is unfathomable to humans: 110

Baalbaki, al Maureed, Arabic Dictionary. 77

“He who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return [your] vision [to the sky]; do you see any breaks? Then return [your] vision twice again. [Your] vision will return to you humbled while it is fatigued.” 67:3-4 God is not only The Creator, He is the only Creator because He is al-Aḥad, The Unique – no one and nothing is like Him, and none can do what He does, since He is inimitable. The Qur’an states in one of its most important yet shortest of its chapters: “Say ‘He is God, The Unique; God, The Self-Sufficient; He does not beget nor is He begotten; and there is nothing comparable to Him.” 112:1- 4 The word aḥad is closely related to the word wāḥid which means “one”, and indeed God is al-Wāḥid, The One, implying that God is absolutely singular and not divisible either by incarnation or metamorphosis. Just as the created does not become the Creator, so the Creator does not become the created. Neither is He abstract, merging, or flowing through His creation and nor does He atomise. Consequently, He is al-A‘ala, The Most High111 – transcendent in relation to His creation. He does not fraternize with anything, thereby becoming subject to their behaviour, or subordinate to their bidding. Rather He is Dhul Jalāli Muslims understand Allah’s highness to refer to three things: (i) that He Himself is high above His creation; (ii) that He is the highest in power, and able to subjugate His slaves; (iii) that He is the highest in status. 111

wal-Ikrām, The Owner of Majesty and Praise. The Qur’an beautifully explains: “To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth. For certainly God, He is The Free of all Need, The Worthy of all Praise.” 22:64 He is as-Samee‘, The All-Hearing, and al-Baṣeer, The All-Seeing. Not a word is uttered or an action carried out except that He knows of it. He is ash112-Shaheed, The Witness, and nothing escapes His knowledge, so He is al-Ḥakam, The Judge, dispensing justice with perfect wisdom for He is al Hakeem, The Wise. – And He is alLaṭeef and al-Khabeer, well aware of the precision and subtlety of every matter. He is ar-Razzāq, The Provider. He provides his creation with everything that is necessary for them to live: food, drink, rain, light, warmth, etc. In fact the whole planet has been given over for utilisation. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬would say: “The world is beautiful and green, and certainly God, may He be exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.”113 Whilst God provides everything for His creation, He does not require anything in return from them.

According to particular rules of Arabic grammar the ‘al’ is changed here to ‘ash’, to keep the transliteration accurate, however the meaning remains unchanged. 113 Muslim. 112

The Qur’an explains: “We do not ask of you [any] provision. We provide for you, and the best outcome is for the righteous.” 20:132 Even the worship we owe our Creator is a necessity for our own selves: “O mankind, it is you who are in need of God, while God is The Free of Need, The Praiseworthy.” 35:15 God does not become any greater if we worship Him. He is what He is – omniscient and omnipotent. “If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then indeed, God is Rich (free of all wants), Owner of all praise.” 14:8 With faith and good deeds, which in Islam are entwined, we draw near to God, both in this life and the next. God loves that His Creation strive for this closeness, and so He is al-Hādī, The Guide, ensuring that every nation of every age has received what it needs to know about Him. God not only provides the essentials, but far more – much more than is ever appreciable or calculable. He is al-Wahhāb, The Bestower and al-Mannān, The Benefactor. He is al-Kareem, The Generous, giving even without being asked.

He is ash-Shakoor, The Most Appreciative, recognising and rewarding for good intentions and actions, and He is al-Wadood, The Loving, answering to the prayer and supplication of whoever calls out to Him. The Qur’an movingly explains: “And when my servants ask you [O Muhammad] about Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the invoker when he invokes Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me, that they may be rightly guided.” 2:186 In the above verse, God does not use the majestic plural here, but instead the personal pronoun ‘I’ – asserting His closeness, His love and His care. At times it may seem that prayers go unanswered but the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained that every prayer is answered but in one of three ways according to divine wisdom: “Either the prayer will be answered, or it will be saved for him in the next life, or it will turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him).”114 The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would vigorously encourage private and personal supplication, saying: “Supplication is worship” and “Ask [from God] and you will be given; ask [from God] you will be given.”115 114 115

Tirmidhi. ibid. 81

Of the Most Beautiful Names, two in particular have been repeatedly emphasised and made central to the entire body of knowledge concerning the divine attributes. They are ar-Raḥmān and ar-Raḥeem, both of which are derivatives of the word raḥma, which means ‘mercy’.116 These two names are usually used in conjunction with each other, and ar-Raḥmān is translated as The Most Merciful, whilst ar-Raḥeem is translated as The Bestower of Mercy. The first of the two names, ar-Raḥmān is a description of the perfection and vastness of mercy that God alone possesses. He exclusively owns this attribute and it refers to His essential nature. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬said that God has pledged: “My mercy prevails over my wrath.”117 ar-Raḥeem is a description of God as He dispenses His mercy and its effect on His creation. God so loves the attribute of conferring mercy that the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬taught: “Those people who show no mercy will receive no mercy.”118

116

In fact, the Arabic word for womb is raḥm, another derivative, implying that the bond between mother and child is intrinsically compassionate. 117 Muslim. 118 ibid. 82

The concept of being merciful is so integral to the religion of Islam that the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬stated: “There is a reward (from God) for taking care of any living thing”.119 Every chapter of the Qur’an except one begins with the names ar-Raḥmān and ar-Raḥeem – they are undeniably two of the most prominent attributes emphasised. In the face of problems and sorrow it can be difficult reconciling the concept of divine mercy with the many trials of life. Islam teaches us that the life of this world is transient – it was not made or meant to be perfect or everlasting, serving only as a test period prior to the eternal life to come. From the Qur’an: “[God] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deeds, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.” 67:2 Problems and trials promote the esteemed virtue of patience about which the Qur’an states: “O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, God is with those who are patient.” 2:153 In conjunction with His Mercy He is also al-Ghafoor, The Most Forgiving – He not only forgives, but also protects us from the negative consequences of our sins 119

Bukhari. 83

and bad deeds, allowing time for introspection and reparation. In fact, one of the most notable supplications that the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬taught, and which he made profusely during the sacred month of Ramadan is: “O God, You are forgiving. You love forgiving, so forgive me.”120 This attribute of perfect forgiveness is not limited, for He is also al-Ghaffār, The Continuous Forgiver, forgiving repeatedly as long the sinner repents and strives to change. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬stated that God says: “O son of Adam121, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me [forgiveness] I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you were then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth and were you then to face me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness equal to it”.122 Since it is divine to be perfectly merciful and forgiving123, so it becomes very appropriate that humans sin and make mistakes. This in turn leads to the concept 120

Tirmidhi. i.e. human being. 122 Tirmidhi. 123 The vast majority of the Names of God described in the Qur’an and prophetic teaching are in fact connected to and variants of the attribute of forgiveness. 121

of repentance, which is one of the most beloved actions that an individual can do. Repentance is not merely a verbal action however, it must have a strong emotive component too, as God always accepts repentance if it is sincere, imbued with remorse and regret – and restitution when the rights of others have been violated: “And certainly, I am forgiving to he who repents, believes (in Me), does good deeds, and remains constant in doing them.” 20:82 However, being just is also an attribute of God and His mercy is tempered with justice, and so He is al-Dayyan, The Recompenser. Those who wilfully transgress His commands despite clear warnings not to, must face His punishment - the consequence of their chosen misdeeds: “That He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done; and reward those who do good, with what is best.” 53:31 Though justice is the basis for reward and punishment, Islam tells us that God is also al-Haleem, The Forbearing, overlooking most of the transgressions His creatures commit against Him: “Indeed He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving.” 17:44

“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks God’s forgiveness, he will find God oft forgiving, most merciful.” 4:110 Additionally, God in His generosity multiplies the reward for good deeds. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ explained: “Certainly, God has recorded good and bad deeds and He made them clear. Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, then God will record it as a complete good deed. If he intends to do it and does it, then God the Exalted will record it as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times as much or even more. However, If he intends to do a bad deed and does not do it, then [still] God will record it for him as one complete good deed. But If he does do the bad deed then God will record it for him only as one bad deed.”124 Sins committed purely against God are easily rectifiable by sincere repentance and change, but what about transgressions against other human beings? The situation becomes more complex now that victims are involved. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained the compensation method implemented on the Day of Judgement; whoever suffered at the hands of another – whether he was slandered or stolen from, or beaten or murdered, the perpetrator of the crime will have whatever good deeds he accrued in his life credited to his victim. If his quantity of good deeds falls short of equity, 124

Muslim. 86

then his victim’s bad deeds will be offloaded and entered into his own account of bad deeds, thereby amassing more sin and greater divine punishment125. Knowledge of the Divine Attributes is so necessary, nourishing, and consoling to the psyche, that the greatest verse in the Qur’an – The Verse of the Throne, is in fact a description of God. It reads: “God – There is nothing worthy of worship except Him. The Ever Living, The Sustainer of [all] Existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and on the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He does not tire in their preservation. And He is The Most High, The Most Great.” 2:255 Many attributes have been described in the Qur’an and by the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬so that the worshipper, in whatever situation, never feels disconnected, isolated, or abandoned by God. The Qur’an tells us: “Most certainly, in the remembrance of God do hearts find comfort.” 13:28

125

Bukhari. 87

The Most Perfect Names also enable the worshipper to build an appropriate spiritual intimacy with God, which in turn cultivates a constant awareness of Him. In Islam, this awareness or consciousness of God is generally called taqwā126, and for the Muslim it is the single most potent emotive force that must permeate and define his/her actions. For it is taqwā that will promote and beautify acts of worship, it is taqwā that will encourage empathy and good deeds, it is taqwā that develops self discipline and restraint, and it is taqwā that will halt cruelty and oppression. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬taught: “Have taqwā of God wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and treat people well.”127 The statutory five daily prayers which Muslims have been commanded to pray throughout the day help to instil the force of taqwā by constantly and repeatedly absorbing the worshipper in a spiritual standing before God. But imperative to the development of taqwā are the private and intimate supplications outside of formal prayer, where the heart and soul pours out to God as much as possible at any time and in any state.

126

Taqwa is also translated as piety, fear, righteousness , duty etc. There is no comprehensive term in English for it, but its physical manifestation is a deep love of obedience to God and an intense aversion in disobeying Him. 127 Tirmidhi. 88

This open and direct channel without intermediary of any kind, neither a saint nor a confessional, strengthens the connection with God and emphasises that the relationship between God and the worshipper is unmediated, close, and deeply personal: “And certainly We created mankind and We know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than his jugular vein.” 50:16 Conversely, without taqwā, the practice of Islam simply descends into meaningless ritual, stemming from habit. All the perfect attributes of God prove that He alone is the only one deserving of worship. But the greatest epithet of God, which incorporates all the other attributes and has no gender or plural form, is a statement rather than a name. It is Allah – The One and Only God. “He is Allah; there is no god but Him, He is The Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy. He is Allah, there is no god but Him. He is The Sovereign, The Pure, The Bestower of Safety, The Bestower of Security, The Overseer, The Almighty, The Compeller, The Superior. Exalted is Allah above everything that they associate with Him! He is Allah, The Creator, The Maker, The Fashioner. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is The Almighty, the All Wise.” 59:22-24

Chapter 8: The Divine Message

Having brought human beings into existence, and having endowed them with all the necessary faculties, God does not then withdraw or abandon them to their own plight. The concept of God in Islam is not deistic; rather, God sustains and governs all of His creation according to His perfect wisdom. This is a manifestation of one of His most prominent attributes – mercy. The attribute of mercy is not limited to the physical aspects of life; rather, spiritual sustenance is integral to the overall wellbeing of humans. To be able to liberate the self from a life dictated only by meeting physical needs and gratification, God has communicated to humans an instruction or message which will allow those who follow it to fulfil the purpose of creation, and bring spiritual contentment. What precisely is the divine message? Has this most important aspect of life been left arbitrary, with humans having to blindly stumble along using assumption and speculation as to how to love and worship their Creator? If this was the case, the Creator could be justifiably accused of neglect and indifference. But it is not possible or appropriate for God to be heedless of any matter even if it is insignificant. From the Qur’an: “And with Him (God) are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the 90

land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” 6:59 The divine message, in requisite, must clarify what pleases God and what displeases Him, so that people can seek to draw near to Him by doing favourable actions and avoiding those that are unfavourable. It also has to appeal to the mind, satisfy the physical needs of the body, and promote spiritual growth of the soul, whilst, like all good governance, legislating basic rules and regulations to prevent anarchy and abuse. Since the purpose of human creation does not change with time: “And they were not commanded except to worship God, being sincere to Him in religion.” 98:5 It therefore follows that the essential objective of the divine message also remains unchanged. This guiding principle, spanning all the ages of human existence, has always been defined very precisely. • From one of the most prominent chapters of the Qur’an: “Say, “He is God, [who is] One.” 112:1

• From the daily recited Jewish Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” Deuteronomy 6:4 • From the New Testament: “The greatest commandment” Jesus replied “is this: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” Mark 12:29 In societies that are generally hostile to religion, the idea of God commanding humans to do what He instructs is often viewed as an infringement of liberty, but this concept is not any different from the everyday principle of compliance and respect that ownership necessitates. In Islam, God owns everything and even life itself belongs to Him. From the Qur’an: “The kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in them belongs to God. He has power over all things.” 5:120 The belief that a person’s body belongs exclusively to themselves is an illusion that the Qur’an dispels in many verses. Explaining this in reference to the inevitability of death, it truly becomes clear that no human – or any other creature, for that matter – has true ownership of anything; not even of their own life: 92

“Then why do you not [intervene] when [the soul of a dying person] reaches the throat? And you, at that moment, are looking on. But Our [angels] are nearer to him than you, but you do not see. Then why do you not – if you are not to be recompensed – bring back the soul, if you are truthful [in your claim of control/ownership]?” 56:83-87 The Divine Message and Fiṭrah Fiṭrah is the Arabic word for instinct, natural inclination, and disposition; and all living organisms are born equipped with it. When applied to humans, it means human nature. Theologically, it refers to the natural tendency for humans to acknowledge or worship one God, and an innate dependency upon Him. Islam tell us that God has ingrained within the psyche a propensity to worship Him, thereby guiding human beings to achieve the purpose of their creation. It is because of this natural inclination that historically the human race has always engaged in worship, and belief still remains prevalent well into modern times, despite previously inexplicable phenomena and superstitions having long given way to scientific explanation. Human nature and social anthropology demonstrate that atheism is a purely artificial construct. Even an atheist may paradoxically respond to the intrinsic urge to call upon God in times of need, though denying it afterwards:

“Then comes a stormy wind and the waves come upon them from all sides and they think they are surrounded, [the disbelievers] supplicate to God, sincere to Him in their faith, ‘If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the grateful.’” 10:22 “But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful.” 17:67 The Qur’anic account of the patriarch Abraham, whose people were polytheists, describes the emotions of this natural inclination: “And when Abraham said to his father Aazar, ‘Do you take idols as deities? I see you and your people in clear error.’” 6:74 “So when the night spread out over Abraham, he saw a star, he said [in order to cause his people to reflect] ‘This is my lord’, but when the star set, he said ‘I do not like [to worship] those that disappear’. And when he saw the moon rising up, he said, ‘This is my lord’, but when it set, he said, ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I shall be among the people who have gone astray’. And when he saw the sun rising he said, ‘This is my lord, this is greater’, but when it set, he said ‘O my people, I am free from what you associate with God; Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth [without precedent], in pure

monotheism, and I am not of those who associate others with God’”. 6:76-79 The explanation of the narrative: Abraham could not accept the worship of man made inanimate statues carved out from wood or stone. God cannot be shaped by the human hand, placed in a temple, and then assigned dreamt-up characteristics, according to the whims and fancies of the people. In addition, worship of God requires no intermediaries in the form of idols or saints, for God is accessible directly through supplication and glorification. When Abraham saw his people turning away from the worship of God alone, he took them through a process of reasoning. Addressing their natural inclination to worship, he pointed out that the worship of creation – no matter how great that creation is – is illogical and incompatible with true worship of the Creator. The search for God is an integral part of human nature. The natural inclination to ‘worship’ if allowed to express itself will push for the answers to fundamental questions. Interestingly, in the present day environment, which is generally hostile to religion, and where the concept of God is systematically quashed, these same instinctual passions tend to resurface elsewhere, inevitably becoming imprinted on to something else. The axis of devotion shifts, and love that should have been directed

to God gets diverted to a personality, a team, a pursuit, etc. Since the natural inclination can only drive emotions, the knowledge of who God is, what He expects and how to worship Him, this information can only come through revelation – a divine instruction. This is why after taking his people through the rationale that entities of the natural world could not possibly be God, Abraham affirmed to them his and their need of God for guidance. The Divine Message and the Prophets The Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam all present prophets, and Islam discusses prophethood in even greater detail than the others. Since the prophets are the carriers of the message, the prophets too become an important aspect of the message - all chosen by God according to His wisdom, the Qur’an explains: “God knows best with whom to place His Message…” 6:124 The prophets or messengers of God were entrusted with conveying the divine message to their people. From the Qur’an: “And We did not send before you [Muhammad] any messenger except that We revealed to him that, ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.’” 21:25

The Qur’an mentions by name some of the prophets, along with accounts of their mission and experiences to serve as lessons for later generations. From the Qur’an: “Certainly, We have revealed to you [O Muhammad] as We revealed Noah and the prophets after him. We also revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Aaron and Solomon; and We gave David the Psalms.” 4:163 “Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elias were all among the righteous and We preferred Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot above the nations [of their time].” 6:85-86 Whilst the majority of the prophets remain unknown, and the Qur’an concentrates mostly on the prophets of the Children of Israel, God has ensured that prior to the appointment of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, prophets have been sent to people of all eras and locations so they too were given the opportunity to access the divine guidance. From the Qur’an: “Indeed, We have sent to every nation messengers [saying]: Worship God alone and avoid all false gods.” 16:36 While some prophets were assigned to their own regions or tribes teaching by oration and example only, others were charged with a greater task, and sent to their nation as a whole, whilst some received a message which was of so great a magnitude that the given instruction was in text. The Qur’an states: 97

“Indeed We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light.” 5:44 “And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light; confirming that which preceded it of the Torah, as guidance and instruction for the righteous.” 5:46 But all the prophets, irrespective of their particular assignment were faithful to their mission and fulfilled it to completion. They were also people of great moral character and this is an important issue which the Qur’an emphasizes in order to put right some of the defamatory narratives found in the Bible, such as the supposed drunken behaviour of Noah, the incestuous incidents between Lot and his daughters, the lust motivated murder by David, and the sorcery of Solomon. It is inconceivable that God would delegate people who would indulge in vulgar or criminal behaviour to represent His message, especially since the prophets taught by example. The principle of good conduct is a prerequisite for anyone in a position of responsibility or authority and this concept applies to the prophets even more fervently.

Alteration of the Message A textual format of revelation provided a more permanent method of guidance, and was meant to do so. Protected in the form of script, the divine revelation as scrolls were usually handed down from generation to generation. However, with the passage of time, under the custodianship of its adherents, the purity of the guidance was not effectively retained and it gradually became tainted with their opinions, ideas and desires. Eventually, it became impossible to distinguish between divinely revealed knowledge and fabrication.128 Consequently the tampered scripture as a source of authentic guidance became unreliable and logically could no longer serve as an authentic instruction for worship, salvation and success. Using the four Gospels of the New Testament to demonstrate this, modern biblical scholars have concluded: The Gospel of Matthew is not from the writings of the apostle Matthew; rather, it was authored around 80- 90 CE, by an unknown author.129 The Gospel of Mark, dating 66-70 CE, is not from the writings of Mark the Evangelist, but also the work of an unknown author.130 The eventual corruption of the earlier messages is in complete accordance with divine wisdom in terms of revelation being a functional process, even though its falsification represents a heinous breach of trust from those who were tested with this responsibility. 129 Browne, Raymond E, Introduction to the New Testament, Anchor Bible, 1997, p.210-211. 128

The Gospel of Luke, author unknown, was composed around 80–90 CE.131 The Gospel of John has numerous authors, and developed over a period of time, with completion near the end of the first Century.132 Pseudoepigraphic writing, which is basically what the authorship and narrative of the Gospels amount to, cannot acceptably or seriously form the text of a divine message. The New Testament, as it is today, has not been read or even seen by either Jesus or any of his immediate disciples, so ending any suggestion that it is a credible primary source of information. The Bible, both the Old and New Testament, is a collection of works authored by different people, at different times and in different places. The text reflects the opinions and experiences of the authors, rather than the unabridged teachings of the prophets. Subsequently, not only creed, but liturgical and private acts of worship have also become foreign to what was originally prescribed; becoming heavily infused with the customs and preferences of the dominant culture. The Europeanisation of Christianity illustrates this development. For instance, the origins of the most popular celebration in Christianity, Christmas, remain theologically obscure, combining elements from the pagan practices of Saturnalia, Mithraism, the winter 130

Burkett, Delbert (2002), An introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity. p.156. Cambridge University Press. 131 Bart D. Ehrman(2005), The New Testament: a historical introduction to early Christian writings. Oxford University Press. 132 Harris, Stephen L, Understanding the Bible (Palo Alto:Mayfield, 1985) p. 355. 100

solstice, Yule, and Modranicht. Saturnalia was an ancient Roman winter festival celebrated on December 17-24th and was a time of drinking and feasting, wild merrymaking, decorating with evergreens, and the exchanging of gifts. December 25th was the day of the winter solstice and believed to be the birthday of Mithra, the ancient Indo-Iranian god of light, revered by soldiers of the Roman Empire. Yule, replaced by the Christmas season, was a winter festival connected with the Norse god Odin, while Modranicht was a pagan Anglo-Saxon celebration culminating on the 24th December. It was the 4th Century Christians who first observed the Nativity on the 25th December133. Likewise, the date of Easter was determined by the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, which broke from the tradition of celebrating the resurrection on the Jewish Passover. Easter also has its roots firmly set in pagan festivals commemorating spring, rejuvenation of life and fertility. Christian worship on these two most prominent liturgical occasions, has nothing to do with the teachings of Christ or his immediate disciples, and in fact, were completely unknown to them. The early Christians were more than willing to have practices with no scriptural justification incorporated into 133

Many denominations object to Christmas on theological grounds. The Puritans disallowed the celebration of Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide as religious festivals considering them to be pagan, and the early colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Plymouth in America also passed laws against observing Christmas. 101

their religion, hoping to make their faith generally more palatable to non-Christians. The following biblical conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees can be aptly applied to the present situation: “Why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God…Such people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commandments from God”. Matthew 15:3,8-9 Another example of popular opinion influencing religious practice can be seen from the history of usury134 – interest based repayment of loans, which invariably favours the creditor. The practice of usury is ancient but its Judaic roots, from the Old Testament, places it with general vice: “He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. He lends at interest and takes a profit – will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death, his blood will be on his own head.” Ezekiel 18:12 -13 134

The early church considered any interest charged on a loan as usury, this was canon law well into the papacy of Leo 13 (1878), and up until the protestant reformation in the 16th century; Lewis Watt, S.J., Usury in Catholic Theology (Oxford: Catholic Social Guild, 1945), p. 9. Islam strictly forbids all types of usury, and classes it among the major sins behind polytheism, witchcraft/sorcery and murder. 102

Jews did not allow themselves to charge interest to each other, but permitted themselves to do so outside of their own community; charging the Gentiles: “You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite.” Deuteronomy 23:20 Although there is no outright prohibition of usury in the New Testament, various popes and councils throughout the centuries condemned it. From the early first Council of Nicaea in 325, stating that any clergy found to receive interest would be struck off from their position135, with the Council of Vienne, in 1311, declaring that if any person obstinately maintained that there was no sin in the practice of demanding interest, he should be punished as a heretic136. In 1836 the Holy Office under Pope Gregory 16th issued an encyclical to the entire Roman Catholic Church declaring that the making of profit on a loan was usury.137 But in 1917, the Code of Canon Law listed usury as ‘excessive interest’ to be a sin - clearly a shift in teaching by allowing it within limits. By 1983138 the Code had dropped it altogether as sinful. The Church itself (both Catholic and Anglican) is heavily involved in interest bearing schemes and accepting donations from interestbased institutions. 135

First Council of Nicea, 325, Canon 17. Council of Vienne, 1311-12, Decree 29. 137 Vix Pervenit: On Usury and other Dishonest Profit, Pope Benedict 14th. 138 Miller, A. Usury: Once a sin, Now Good Stewardship, p. 205. 136

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As for the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther was vehemently opposed to usury, but later, John Calvin permitted and approved of it, but not on loans given to the poor. Despite its eventual acceptance into Christian culture, Jesus is reported to have said (Luke 6:34-35) that those who lend should not expect anything in return. The impact of this ruthless system is immeasurable. Secured or unsecured loans – whichever policy it comes dressed in – unleashes all kinds of emotional and physical distress, not only on individuals crippled by debt, but on families as a whole and entire nations. Islam strictly forbids the charging and receiving of interest in any form, and has its own comprehensive policies for ethical banking and finance. Another example of meddling with divine law is the introduction of celibacy. The first century ministers and monks tended to be married men, and there didn’t seem to be any controversy in that. In fact, Christian scripture opposed celibacy. In 1 Timothy 4, it is clearly stated that The Spirit forewarns that in later times, some will abandon faith and follow deceiving spirits, and things taught by demons like forbidding people to marry. By the fourth century, theologians like Jerome and Ambrose promoted the idea that sexual activity was dirty and linked to original sin. The notion of celibacy being pure and angelic gradually took root and by the eleventh century it had become established practice for clergy, 104

eventually becoming enshrined in the Gregorian reform as policy139. The Qur’an also uses celibacy as an example of alteration of divine law: “And monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe it for them except [that they did so] seeking the approval of God.” 57:27 Their intention to please God through their vows, is acknowledged in the Quran, but it illustrates the importance of keeping the divine instruction true to itself. Good intentions alone cannot justify acts as worship if God has not legislated them, even if they are time honoured traditions. What may have been perceived as good and introduced into the body of worship actually contaminates it instead. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬explained: “Beware of the newly contrived matters [in worship], for every newly contrived matter is something invented and every invented thing [in worship] is a going astray.”140 Practices such as female genital mutilation, forced marriage, child marriage, honour killings, female In 1095 Pope Urban II ordered that married priests be imprisoned and that their wives and children be sold into slavery – the money from which went to the Church. Ranke-Heinemann. Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven. Doubleday. New York. 1990. p.110. See also Janelle Werner. Priests and Concubines in England .1375-1549. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009 140 Tirmidhi. 139

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dowries, and menstruation ostracism to mention a few, are all practices rooted in cultural tradition. Islam is then compelled to take the blame for these practices, when it does not legislate them. In fact, these are examples of the very innovations, which Islam so strongly warns against. Manipulating the divine law is so serious that Islam views the act of declaring a forbidden or invented form of worship as true worship, (one which has not been authenticated by scripture or prophet), an extension of polytheism. The Qur’an states: “They take their rabbis and monks as lords beside God.” 9:31 ‘Adee ibn Haatim, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬who had formerly been a Christian, not quite understanding the implication of the verse, remarked that it was not the practice of these people to worship their religious leaders, to which the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬replied “Didn’t they (the priests and rabbis) make forbidden things allowable, and allowable things forbidden, and you people (their followers) followed them in that?” The companion affirmed that this was indeed the case. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ then explained: “That was how you worshipped them.”141 Even with the best intentions, interfering with the divine message results in dire consequences. Celibacy, for 141

Tirmidhi. 106

example, which was commended for centuries by the Catholic Church has now proven to be a cause of great harm, especially to children. The true extent of abuse (perhaps over centuries) remains undocumented and will never be known, with some cases only recently having been brought to account. The protestant reformer, Martin Luther, himself a celibate monk before nullifying his vows, realised its dangers. In his ‘The Estate of Marriage’ he wrote: “If they (priests, monks and nuns) do hinder it (the sexual urge) you may be sure that they will not remain pure, but inevitably besmirch themselves with secret sins or fornication because they are simply incapable of resisting the ordinance of God within them.”142 Further explaining: “Wherever men try to resist this (urge), it remains irresistible and goes its way through fornication, adultery and secret sins, for this is a matter of nature and not choice.”143 God’s laws, as codified in His message, can never go against the natural constitution of human nature whether physical, emotional or spiritual: “Does He (God) who created not know? While He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.” 67:14

142

The Estate of Marriage, p.19 translated by Walther I.Brandt, Luther’s Works, Vol

45. 143

ibid, p.18. 107

The divine law may not always conform with short-term desires, which are very often detrimental to well-being. The Qur’an explains: “And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and you like a thing which is bad for you. God knows and you do not know.” 2:216 Those who submit to God, embrace the law and trust it knowing who it is from, and this procures direction: “[This is] a Book that we have revealed to you (Muhammad), that you might bring mankind out of the darkness into the light…” 14:1 Another problem that besets Christian scripture is its repeated translation. Jesus is believed to have spoken (Galilean) Aramaic, whilst biblical scholars assert that the original text of the New Testament was in Greek144. From the outset then, authenticity has been compromised. Translations make for a poor substitute of any original, and Greek being a polysemous language, made translation an even more arduous task. Apart from the obvious errors in translating, idioms and expressions that convey the intended meaning are difficult to capture; words are often misunderstood or omitted; and new 144

If any Gospels were written in Aramaic, none have survived and so original scripture from the hands of Jesus or his immediate disciples are no longer extant. Additionally, Aramaic, Biblical Hebrew and New Testament Greek are all considered dead languages. 108

words are entered (in fact, glosses – words and phrases that were added for explanation – in many instances are indistinguishable from New Testament text, having become part of it). Words having no equivalent in the other language are also difficult to translate. The translator himself, if unfamiliar with the context of the script, might completely fail to transfer the understanding – in short, the entire work becomes unreliable. Further translations, firstly into Latin and then, for native English speakers into English, distanced the text from its Greek predecessors even more. Consequently, any reader of the New Testament is reading a script that has been altered and altered, time and time again, over centuries. With no access to the original script, the reader is simply expected to trust that what is in his/her hands is the infallible words of God – without any means to check for accuracy145. Translations have so removed Christians from the original that most followers do not even ever call Jesus by his Aramaic name Eashoa, always using the Anglicized Greek form instead. Compounding this problem was the sheer number of works. It was left to the Church Fathers to decide which pieces should be included into the New Testament and which should be discarded. In fact, Jerome, who was appointed by Pope Damasus in the 4th century to translate Translations of the Qur’an, especially into English are regarded as woefully inadequate and often inaccurate, but the easy availability of its text in its original Arabic script allows the reader the means by which the translation can be checked for genuineness. In fact, most translations of the Quran are usually printed with the original Arabic accompanying the translation. 145

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the Hebrew and the Greek of the Old and New Testament respectively into Latin producing the Vulgate, complained that: “there are almost as many texts as [there are] manuscripts.”146 Up until the invention of the printing press, hand writing the Bible was a laborious and time consuming process, completely subject to the proficiency of the scribe. Since there is no tradition of memorising biblical text, errors in previous manuscripts could not be identified during the making of new copies and would therefore become incorporated into the text. The cumulative effect of the transfer of these mistakes is explained by the widely acknowledged biblical scholar, Bart Ehrman: “As we learned at Moody (Bible Institute), in one of the first courses in the curriculum, we don’t actually have the original writings of the New Testament. What we have are copies of these writings, made years later – in most cases, many years later. Moreover, none of these copies is completely accurate, since the scribes who produced them inadvertently and/or intentionally changed them in places.”147 Further explaining: “Most of these manuscripts are many centuries removed from the originals, and none of them perfectly accurate, they all contain mistakes – altogether many thousands of mistakes…”148

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Jerome, preface to the Vulgate gospels. Ehrman, B. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2005, p. 5. 148 Ehrman, B. The New Testament: An Historical Introduction To The Early Christian Writings. p. 449. 147

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There is no master copy, no original text, and even the lingua franca of that time is no longer in use. Instead, there are thousands of fragments of New Testament manuscripts in different languages from different places which have been used to construct its text. The biblical scholar Gary Habermas feels this is a proof of validity. While it may be so for an ancient document from a purely historical perspective, with respect to the legitimacy of the divine message, he admits: “While this doesn’t guarantee truthfulness, it means it is much easier to reconstruct the New Testament text. Regarding genre, the Gospels are usually taken today to be examples of Roman biographies.”149 Just a brief study of the compilation of the Vulgate typifies the constant alteration of text over the centuries. In addition, during the first six centuries, early Christian era gospels in circulation, which did not fit in with the configured theology of the time were destroyed, irrespective of authenticity. For instance, the concept of the Trinity, in that the three are one in essence, is basically a fourth century formulation, a product of the Nicene Trinitarian doctrine150. The First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in AD 325, was convened to define, amongst other issues, the nature of the Godhead. Arius, a priest, and his fellow thinkers had clashed with the Bishop of Alexandria by promoting the belief that the Father and the Son were not the same, 149

Habermas, G. Q&A Topics. McGrath Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction, Blackwell Oxford (2001). 150

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either in essence or divinity and therefore not co-equal, and that only the Father was eternal. The Nicene Creed which followed, established the official position of the Church as God and Jesus being one in essence and the doctrine of the Trinity. The Emperor Constantine issuing the edict, ordered: “If any writing composed by Arius should be found, it should be handed over to the flames, so that not only will the wickedness of his teaching be obliterated, but nothing will be left even to remind anyone of him. And I hereby make a public order, that if someone should be discovered to have hidden a writing composed by Arius, and not to have immediately brought it forward and destroyed it by fire, his penalty should be death.”151 Even recently unearthed manuscripts like the Nag Hammadi texts and the discovery of other lost gospels, which date back to virtually the same time as the New Testament books, have also been completely disregarded by the Church for espousing theology regarded as untenable. What is ironic is not the rejection of the message of these Gospels but the reason cited for it – unknown authorship. Strangely, this objection is the very same flaw symptomised by the Canonical Gospels. The last cache to be found was in Albania in 2008, when forty-seven new manuscripts were discovered.152 The Qur’an explains that to alter the divine message is a grave sin, because firstly, no individual has been given 151

Athanasius, Fourth Century Christianity, Wisconsin Lutheran College. Michelle A Vu, NT scholar on discovery of giant trove of Bible manuscripts” Christianity Today, April 21, 2008. 152

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permission by God to reconstruct His message; and secondly, to portray something as God’s message when in reality it is not, is a deception which leads others astray. Those who were entrusted with the preservation of the divine message – usually the priesthood – have been issued a stark warning for corrupting or allowing the corruption of the guidance. From the Qur’an: “Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, ‘This is from God,’ to purchase with it a little gain! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.” 2:79 Paul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus was not from the twelve apostles of Jesus, and never met him. His conversion to Christianity through a vision, as presented in the New Testament with contradictory descriptions, is dated around AD 33-36. Since Paul never met Jesus in person, he obviously never learnt anything directly from him, and this is reflected in his writings, which hardly cite Jesus153. After his mystic encounter with Jesus some three decades later, he was immediately nominated a recipient of intimate knowledge, and given authority over Jesus’ It is somewhat misleading to use the word ‘cite’ because the Gospels were written decades after Jesus and by unknown authors, which makes it unlikely that speech attributed to Jesus are his words verbatim. 153

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ministry which no one else, not even Jesus’ own chosen disciples were privileged with. Throughout the centuries, theologians have always found this objectionable. Ferdinand Bauer noted: “What kind of authority can there be for an ‘apostle’ who, unlike the other Apostles, had never been prepared for the Apostolic office in Jesus’ own school but had only later dared to claim the Apostolic office on the basis of his own authority?”154 The very early Christian author Tertullian commented on the absurdity of Paul’s self appointment: “He [Paul] himself claims to be an apostle, and that not from men nor through any man, but through Jesus Christ. Clearly any man can make claims for himself, but his claim is confirmed by another person’s attestation… No man is for himself claimant and witness.”155 Tertullian explained: “When I am told that he [Paul] was subsequently promoted by our Lord, by now at rest in heaven, I find some lack of foresight that Christ did not know beforehand that he would have need of him, but after setting in order the office of apostleship and sending them out upon their duties, considered it necessary, on an impulse and not by deliberation, to add another, by compulsion and not by design…”156 Paul proclaimed that he received the Gospel directly, by revelation, in visions from Jesus: 154

Bauer, The Church History of the First Three Centuries. Tertullian, Against Marcion (Oxford University Press 1972). 156 Ibid. 155

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“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11-12 This convenience allowed Paul unrestrained modification of his new found faith, and again this has been contested by many biblical scholars, both early and contemporary. Mentioning some renowned theologians and philosophers: Albert Schweitzer stated: “Paul never appealed to the sayings and commands of the Master”.157 Johannes Lehmann declared that Paul was “a corrupter of the Gospel of Jesus” and “the second founder of Christianity”.158 Soren Kierkegaard explained: “What Martin Luther in his reformation failed to realise is that even before Catholicism, Christianity had become degenerate at the hands of Paul. Paul made Christianity the religion of Paul, not of Christ. Paul threw the Christianity of Christ away, completely turning it upside down, making it just the opposite of the original proclamation of Christ.”159 Jeremy Bentham wrote: “It rests with every professor of the religion of Jesus to settle within himself to which of

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Schweitzer, A. The Quest for the Historical Jesus. Lehman, J. The Jesus Report. 159 Kierkegaard, S. The Journals. 158

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the two religions, that of Jesus or that of Paul, he will adhere.”160 Rudolf Bultmann noted: “Jesus’ teaching is – to all intents and purposes – irrelevant to Paul.”161 Gunther Bornkamm stated: “It is Paul who really founded Christianity.”162 Proponents of Paul are familiar with the criticisms against him which are casually passed off as ‘Paulbashing’, but in light of the repeated conclusions drawn up by many well regarded Christian historians and biblical scholars over the centuries, it becomes necessary for those who follow Paul to step aside from blind belief and look into the issue from a logical, historical and academic perspective. For instance, redemption through faith alone is one of Paul’s most enduring assertions, which has become central to Christian theology. The concept finds its origins in the controversy surrounding circumcision, a practice which Paul especially wanted to abolish, along with existing Judaic dietary prohibitions, to ensure liberty of the Gentiles. By denouncing the law altogether and using the idea of justification through Christ’s atoning sacrifice – a concept which parallels pagan blood offerings, Paul effectively cast aside every injunction found in the Mosaic Law that Jesus himself practiced and preached. 160

Bentham, J. Not Paul But Jesus. Bultmann, R. Significance of the Historical Jesus for the Theology of Paul. 162 Bornkamm, G. Paul. 161

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Jesus Said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tithe shall in no way pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5: 17-19 And again said: “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” John 14:21 And yet again said: “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching…Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” John 14:23,24 But Paul said: “When we try to gain God’s blessings and salvation by keeping his laws, we always end up under his anger, for we always fail to keep them. The only way we can keep from breaking laws, is not to have any to break.” Romans 5:15

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And then even more boldly said: “All things are lawful unto me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 The historian Shlomo Riskin notes that Paul: “broke from Jewish Law, and the religion thereby created was soon encrusted with pagan elements.”163 Historian Will Durant commented: “Paul replaced conduct with creed as the test of virtue. It was a tragic change.”164 It is imperative that sacred text be regarded and handled as sacrosanct and closed to any kind of interference or contamination so as to uphold the integrity, purity, and authenticity of its message. Any alteration or dilution renders it worthless – exsanguinated of its genuineness, it literally becomes a work of fiction. The New Testament is sadly riddled with obscurity, alterations and contradictions. Consequently, it can no longer be relied on as an accurate source of guidance for seekers of the truth. If the divine message is to be realised – it must be sought elsewhere.

163 164

The Jerusalem Post International,1992. March 28. Durant, W. Caesar and Christ. 118

Chapter 9: The Qur’an, Islam, and Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ The Qur’an, which means something recited, completes the vast body of sacred revelation sent to humans by God. It was revealed to Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬gradually over a period of twenty-three years. The monotheists of the time, the Jews and the Christians – who were perfectly familiar with the concept of divine revelation – along with the Meccan polytheists took objection to this, mocking that the fragmentary nature of revelation didn’t seem very grand. Their criticism was noted and in answer to them God explains: “And those who disbelieve say ‘Why was the Qur’an not revealed to him (Muhammad) all at once?’ So it is, that We may strengthen your heart by it. And We have spaced it out distinctly.” 25:32 The intermittency was for the benefit of the recipients, and not a defect in method, as was being implied; providing time for the revealed verses to be properly understood, implemented, and memorised. This was particularly important for the first Muslims because most of them came from a background of idolatry, and the core theme of the Qur’an, worshipping God without intermediaries, was alien to their previous beliefs. Intermittency also allowed those who challenged Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, the opportunity to put forward their arguments – to which they would receive answers in the 119

Qur’an that they could not subsequently refute. This is reflected in the verses that take on a question-answer format. In content, the Qur’an is not a biography of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, neither is it a historical narrative of any one nation. It is not a book on science either, although many scientific phenomena and facts are included with the intention of reassuring the reader that the Qur’an is celestial, because no person in the sixth century could have known those things. After the pure message of monotheism had been lost once again, the Qur’an was revealed to set right the situation and provide mankind with the guidance necessary for success and salvation. From the Qur’an: “And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing, so follow it and be righteous, that you may receive mercy.” 6:155 The Qur’an finalises the series of divine revelation. Since nothing further is to be given and received, it becomes imperative that this last message does not itself undergo what befell its predecessors – corrupted and altered to the extent that no discernible measure of authentic guidance remains. With this in mind, the Qur’an carries with it an unprecedented feature which was not given to any of the other Books – divine preservation:

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“We have, without doubt, sent down this Reminder (the Qur’an), and We will assuredly guard it [from corruption].” 15:9 The Qur’an cannot be altered, and has not been altered since it was first revealed. The gradually revealed verses were memorised and written down in totality during the lifetime of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬himself165, ensuring that he personally supervised the recording of its actual words.166 Shortly after his death, his companions who had acted as his scribes, in conjunction with the great number of companions who had committed the Qur’an to memory, placed the text between two covers – gathering it together in book form rather than loose sheets, with meticulous cross-referencing. Later, when dialectic differences arose due to variations in pronunciation, the original scribes unified these differences according to the dialect in which the Quran was originally revealed. The great tradition of memorising the entire Qur’an in its original Arabic text continues today across the entire Muslim world, irrespective of native language and ethnicity. With student-teacher chains of transmission authentically reaching back to the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ himself, and to his first and closest companions and his scribes, the text of the Qur’an is indubitable and not subject to the vagaries of time. Qadhi, Y. An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’aan. Al Hidaayah Publication. p131 166 The chapters and verses of the Quran are not arranged chronologically - Verses have been placed according to the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬precise instruction. 165

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As for the claim that the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ authored the Qur’an – a brief glimpse into his personal life, the norms and customs of the culture and society he lived in, and his own use of the Arabic language in his teaching of the Qur’an, prove without doubt that the Qur’an is immeasurably superior to anything that he – or any other human being – could have produced of their own accord. God Himself clarifies the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬role in relation to the Message – that of conveying: “Say [O Muhammad], it is not for me to change it (the Qur’an) on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me...” 10:15 In the time of Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, few people in his society were literate, and great emphasis was placed on poetry and rhetoric. When the Qur’an was recited by the Prophet Muhammad ‫ – ﷺ‬who was not himself noted for any prior literary contribution, and was known to be unable to read and write – his people were dumbstruck by the sheer power, beauty, and eloquence of the revelation. They knew it was not his invention: “Or do they say he (Muhammad) has forged it? Say: Produce a single chapter like it, and call to your aid whoever you can besides God, if you are truthful.” 10:38

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As for the preservation of the Qur’an’s meaning, this too was secured during the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬own lifetime, because he personally oversaw the teaching of the Qur’an to a diverse and growing community (and not just to a handful of disciples), which reached into the tens of thousands by the time of his death. The greatest miracle of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is the Qur’an. Whereas the miracles of the earlier Prophets are now relegated to history, the Qur’an endures, withstanding the test of time – inimitable, unchangeable, and unchallengeable: “And if there was any Qur’an by which the mountains would be removed, or the earth would be broken up, or the dead made to speak [it would be this Qur’an]…” 13:31 In its simplest form, the Qur’an can be thought of as a manual for living a life in accordance with divine law. Its deeper objective however, is to develop the correct spiritual relationship with God, to whom we will ultimately return. The Qur’an is, in effect, a detailed explanation of the Muslim testimony or declaration of faith, known in Arabic as the shahaadah, which states: “There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” The two clauses in the declaration of faith define the fundamental two foci of Islam. 123

Firstly, that of absolute monotheism, with no concept whatsoever of there being other gods, or of God sharing any of His characteristics and attributes with anyone or anything. The emotional and physical expression of pure monotheism is that all worship be directed to God alone. Consequently praying to saints, soliciting holy men for blessings, visiting graves to entreat the dead, the wearing of charms and amulets, consulting horoscopes, etc., are all twists of polytheism because something other than God has been ascribed the ability to bring benefit or ward off harm. From the Qur’an: “Whatever mercy, God may grant to mankind, none can withhold it and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it after. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” 35:2 This first clause of pure monotheism is immemorial, never changing irrespective of time or place. It has been taught by all of the prophets. The second clause of the declaration of faith implies that the message brought by the Prophet and Messenger Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is the method now, by which God should be worshipped. For those who lived prior to the mission of Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, the legislation brought by the earlier prophets, though different to an extent from the Qur’an, would have constituted the second clause of the declaration of faith in their time. 124

Fulfilling both conditions of the declaration of faith – to worship God alone in the manner prescribed by God Himself, through the guidance of the prophet of the time, is the way human beings submit to God, and this is precisely the meaning of Islam – submission to God by obedience to His Law167. A person who has submitted to God in this way is called in Arabic a muslim - literally ‘one who submits’. Although the term muslim is now exclusively used to designate a follower of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, it actually describes a state of being. In its wider context, it can be used to describe any person in the past who fulfilled the two conditions of worship. With this understanding, we come to know that people who have submitted to God – Muslims – have lived through all ages, and in all places, well before the time of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬. The religion of these people should therefore describe their method rather than their fellowship, and the word Islam perfectly does so, since it is a description of an action rather than a proper noun – unlike Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity, which are all named after geographical locations or personalities.

The word ‘Islam’ is derived from another word ‘istislaam’ which means to surrender or submit, and ‘istislaam’ is closely related to the word ’salaam’ which means peace - the implication of which is that submission to God brings peace physically, emotionally and spiritually. 167

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Although the name Islam is now used specifically to describe the religion of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, in reality the message transmitted by Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is not a new religion, it is simply a corrected iteration of the previous ones – it is the message of all the messengers: “Nothing is said to you [O Muhammad] except what was already said to the messengers before you…” 41:43 In our time, it is the only one which guides to success and salvation, since it supersedes whatever came before: “Whatever a verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We replace with a better one or one similar to it. Do you not know that God is able to do all things.” 2:106 So, using the patriarch Abraham as an example, anyone living in his time and following his teaching would be considered to be following Islam and be a muslim – not ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’ as they exist today, but according to their generic meaning of worshipping God the way He legislated – in this case through the teachings of Abraham, which sadly, in a pure and unadulterated form of script, is no longer extant. The Messenger of God, Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ A descendent of Abraham through his son Ishmael, Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬was an ordinary citizen of the trading city of Mecca. Orphaned at an early age, he grew up to 126

be reputed by his own people for his honesty, kindness, and humility. He was unable to read and write, which was common amongst the Arabs, who instead were strong in memorisation and diction. He never participated in the pagan traditions or immoral practices of his people, and was known to spend time in seclusion in one of the mountain caves of Mecca, where he would contemplate and engage in personal and private prayer to the One God. His ministry began at the age of forty, and for the next twenty-three years he received the revelation of the Qur’an. His entire ministerial life is a guide for those who wish to obey God. “He [Muhammad] does not speak from his imagination. Indeed it is a revelation, [divinely] revealed.” 53:3-4 Even though he became what was effectively the head of state of his growing community, he never took advantage of his position or abused it; remaining humble and living modestly, and when at home he would busy himself with housework and serving his family168. Unlike the prophets before him who were assigned to their own nations, the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is unique in that he was sent to all of mankind, just as his revelation the Qur’an, from the outset was revealed for all. 168

Bukhari. 127

“We sent you [Muhammad] as a mercy for all creatures.” 21:107 This includes the jinn, animals and plants, and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would never shy away from tenderly talking to animals and trees showing them affection and explained their inherent rights169. Just as the Qur’an finalises divine revelation, so the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬seals the brotherhood of prophets. He is the last of them until the Day of Judgement, with no new prophet to come after him. From the Qur’an: “Rather, he [Muhammad] is the Messenger of God and the last of the prophets. And God is the knower of all things.” 33:40 At no point in the history of Islam since Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ brought it, has there ever been even the slightest suggestion that he is divine. Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is not to be worshipped by Muslims, even the name of his religion and the term used to describe his followers do not bear his name. His status as a human being has been outlined several times in the Qur’an. “Say, I (Muhammad) am only a man like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is but one God…” Unbelievably, the concept of animals having rights in and of themselves is a contentious philosophy, with the likes of Aquinas, Locke and Kant arguing that harming them is to be avoided for the welfare of human morality only. 169

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41:6 The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬himself, keenly aware of how his predecessor Jesus had become deified, warned his followers, “Do not overpraise me like the Christians have done to the Son of Mary. I am but God’s slave170; so say, ‘The slave of God and His messenger’.”171 In fact, upon the death of the beloved Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬which shook the early Muslims to their core, his foremost companion Abu Bakr stated: “Whoever worships Muhammad, know that Muhammad is dead. But whoever worships Allah – know that Allah is alive and will never die”.172

Chapter 10: Jesus, Son of Mary ‘Slave’ in the sense that he was totally obedient to God. Interestingly, in Classical Arabic the word for slave is ‘abd which is the very same word for ‘worshipper’ implying that obedience and worship are mutually inclusive. 171 Muslim. 172 Bukhari. 170

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The Qur’an retells the narrative of Jesus and his mother Mary, in order to dispel the accusations, rumours, and myths surrounding them; rumours, which led to both their vilification by the Jews, and their exaggerated veneration by the Christians. Jesus and Mary are both highly esteemed in Islam and the Prophet Jesus is one of the five most important prophets; the other four being Noah, Abraham, Moses and Muhammad ‫ – ﷺ‬each of whom were given divine scripture and law; whilst Mary is considered a woman of completeness173. “And remember when the angels said ‘O Mary, God has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of the world.’” 3:42 From the outset, Mary’s life was steeped in deep worship of God, and her mother had pledged her, though she was a girl, to a life of prayer and devotion. “He (God) caused her to grow up in a good manner [in worship] and placed her under the care of Zachariah.” 3:37 To bequeath a male child to a House of Prayer was a legislated act of worship at that time, as opposed to now, since it is not prescribed in the law of the Qur’an. Subsequently, Islam does not have a monastic tradition – 173

Musnad of Imam Ahmad. 130

worship and regular daily life are complimentary activities. From an early age, Mary was clearly marked out for a towering event. In Islam the virgin birth is not allegorical or symbolic, it is a fact that the Qur’an unapologetically affirms: “(Remember) when the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed God gives you the glad tidings of a word174 from Him…’” 3:45 “She said, ‘O my Lord, how shall I have a son when no man has touched me?’ [The angel] replied, ‘So [it will be], for God creates what He wills. When He decrees a thing, He says only to it ‘Be!’ and it is.’” 3:47 The Prophet Jesus was given a miraculous birth as a monumental sign to his and all people that he was indeed a great messenger of God. Knowing that his mother Mary had spent her entire life in prayer and worship, the birth became especially compelling, and subsequently the accusation of immorality was flung at her. “Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said ‘O Mary! Indeed you have presented a terrible act.’” 174

“Word” in this verse means the command of God “Be – and it is”. 131

19:27 In defence and exoneration of her pristine character, the Qur’an recounts a miracle of Jesus that the New Testament does not describe – the miracle of Jesus speaking as a newborn: “[Jesus] will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity, and will be of the righteous.” 3:46 Mary herself would have known the grave consequences of presenting a child outside of marriage, and this miracle of the baby Jesus speaking was as much a tribute to her as well as for her son: “Then she pointed to him. They said, ‘How can we talk to one who is a baby in the cradle!?’ [Then Jesus] said, ‘Certainly I am a servant of God. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.’” 19:29-30 Jesus himself defended his mother’s honour through a miraculous speaking, thereby protecting her from her denouncers and silencing them, while establishing his own mission in front of the people he was sent to. The Qur’an addresses this lost miracle of Jesus speaking as an infant because it is of paramount importance in stressing the immensely miraculous nature and uniqueness of his birth, the likes of which no other human being has been distinguished with.

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Joseph In the New Testament, Joseph is proposed to be the husband of Mary: “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus...” Matthew 1:16 The Virgin Birth is an immense sign of the glory of God but by introducing Joseph, the husband figure of Mary, the entire purpose and significance of the miracle is defeated. Why would anyone believe in the virgin birth of Jesus if Mary appears with a husband? Any such bizarre claim by a married couple would not be seen as a miracle but rather met with bewilderment and ridicule and passed off as ludicrous – the claim would be rejected immediately, as fatherhood would naturally be attributed to the husband. In the biblical rendition, which omits the miracle of Jesus speaking as a baby, Mary effectively has no way of vindicating herself of premarital intimacy, other than by outright denial, which no one would have believed. She would probably have been flogged for her perceived crime according to Jewish halakha, and her child shunned and discredited from the very beginning. In the absence of Jesus’ miraculous speech, Joseph, out of necessity, becomes a central figure in the nativity, providing an essential cover of protection against the onslaught of an entirely destructive scandal.

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Curiously, despite the urgency for Joseph as the foster father of Jesus, he does not appear at all in the first Gospel, Mark, and is not mentioned even once in the thirteen Epistles of Paul. He is mentioned in the synoptic gospels of Mathew and Luke, both of which date back to around 80–100 CE, but both differ in their recording of his genealogy with various puzzling explanations cited for the disparity. Joseph does not exist in the Islamic recount. Despite the grandiose nature of the birth, the exceptional circumstances of Mary’s life and the miracles performed by Jesus, neither Jesus nor Mary are divine or celestial in any way. The Qur’an points out: “The Messiah, Son of Mary, was only a messenger. Other messengers have come and gone before him. His mother was a virtuous woman – both ate food. See how clear We make these signs for them, yet see how they are deluded.” 5:75 God does not require food and the indignity of what it becomes - God is, and does what befits His majesty. “Praise and glory be to Him, [for He is] above what they ascribe to Him.” 6:100 Although the Virgin Birth, by human estimation, is extraordinary, to God it is nothing more than what He wills to occur: 134

“The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He wills a thing to be, He only says ‘Be!’ – and it is.” 2:117 Neither does the absence of a biological parent impart to Jesus divinity. Why should it? If that was the criterion for godhood then wouldn’t Adam be the preferred candidate, since he had no mother either. The Qur’an explains: “Certainly the likeness of Jesus before God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust and said to him ‘Be!’ – and he was.” 3:59 As for the performance of miracles, that is also not the criterion for divinity, nor is it unique to Jesus. The Old Testament is replete with the stories of prophets who performed great miracles, but none of them are singled out for worship. Miracles performed by prophets were a method by which God assisted the people to accept the prophet who had been sent to them. The nature, location, and timing of the miracle perfectly matched the mentality and attitudes of the people that it was intended for. For instance, in the time of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, the pre-Islamic Arabs greatly prided themselves in their language, both poetry and prose. Articulate speech was one of the most sought after and honourable characteristics a person could possess, and poets were 135

held in especially high esteem. When the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬began reciting the revealed verses of the Qur’an, its superiority in language and content, and its eloquence and composition eclipsed any previous notion of excellence, and continues to do so. The miracle of the Qur’an and its Arabic was therefore perfectly suited to Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬. Likewise, Moses was raised in ancient Egypt, in a culture where magic was integral to the worship of the pharaohs and gods. Subsequently, Moses’ miracles mirrored supernatural feats, whilst Jesus miraculously healed incurable conditions in a society which grappled with rampant illness and disease. Crucifixion and Resurrection Here the Qur’anic narrative and the Biblical story diverge completely. The Qur’an recounts: “And [they were cursed] for boasting, ‘Indeed we have killed the Messiah, son of Mary, Messenger of God’ – but they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; rather, [another] was made to resemble him [in their eyes].” 4:157 Islam teaches that Jesus was physically raised to Heaven, and not crucified, because God transformed another person to resemble him instead. The Qur’an does not disclose the identity of who was crucified in place of him, but exegetes propose it was either one of his disciples who out of love for God offered himself, or it was Jesus’ betrayer. In either case, the specific details of

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the matter rest with God, with the focus of the verse being - Jesus was not killed175. Interestingly in Hebrews 5:7, it is written “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Crucifixion in those days always resulted in death as it was a method of execution, but the biblical verse above implies that Jesus would be spared death, and there is no implication that the death being referred to is only a spiritual death. The whole moral construct of the crucifixion – that Christ died for the sins of mankind – is an untenable concept in Islam. Firstly, God does not require a blood sacrifice to dispense forgiveness or grace. He is forgiving and gracious by His very nature. Secondly, it is the responsibility of individuals to admit and absolve themselves of guilt or sin. This is an important concept in Islamic theology, because to punish other than the perpetrator of a crime, or to accept as ransom an innocent in place of the blameworthy, contradicts basic principles of justice. We know from the attributes of God that He is

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Many prophets did indeed die at the hands of their persecutors, but the five grand prophets of Islam; Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad ‫ – ﷺ‬their enemies were not given the satisfaction of ultimately subduing or triumphing over them. 137

just, and He does not accept acts of injustice. As explained in the Qur’an: “No soul earns (evil) except against itself, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about that in which you differed.” 6:164 Curiously, if Jesus did come to die for the sins of mankind, why would he cry out on the cross?: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. Matthew 27:46 These alleged last and final earthly words of Christ immediately prior to his human death, as the Bible narrates, suggest regret and despair, whereas Jesus, surely would have known his mission and been happy to accomplish it176. The Trinity The concept of the Trinity, enshrined by the Church, which proclaims that there is one god in three persons; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost – who are of the same substance, co-equal and co-existent, with the triune centred on Christ – wasn’t always the majority belief of the Christians. The obvious contradiction in these last words has prompted exegesists to cite various reasons for this choice of statement, which is the opening of Psalm 22. Considering the climactic nature of the crucifixion, the given explanations seem unconvincing. 176

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After much debate, political as well as religious, the Nicene-Constantinople Creed in 381 largely determined the nature of the Godhead. God the Father God has been described as the Father throughout the Old Testament. It was a common metaphor in both the Aramaic and Hebrew languages, and never implied anything more than benefaction. In fact, in the Old Testament, there are countless verses where God calls His people children. The depiction here aims only to suggest a close relationship. In the New Testament, however, where God is referred to as the Father by Jesus, the term assumes a metaphysical connotation, breaking with the common understanding and norms of the language and culture. The Son of God, and God the Son The term son(s) of God has been used in several places in the Old Testament. In fact, the very first book of the Old Testament reads: “When man began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose…when the sons of God came into the daughters of man and bore children to them.” Genesis 6:1-4

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“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them”. Job 1:6 “When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7 Various interpretations have been put forward as to who these sons of God were, but Jewish scholars never took the meaning literally. Even more specifically in a conversation between God and David about his son Solomon, it appears that son is being used synonymously for prophet and father as Lord: “When your days are over… I (God) will raise up your offspring... one of your own sons, he is the one who will build a house for me… I will be his father and he will be my son…” 1 chronicles 17:11-15 “His name will be Solomon…. He will be my son and I will be his father.” 1 chronicles 22:6-11 “He (God) said to me ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I (God) have chosen him to be my son and I will be his father.” 1 chronicles 28:3-7

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Only in Christian theology and the New Testament does the term son of God transmute into God the Son; the second person of the Trinity – an abject disregard of the longstanding and well understood biblical linguistic tradition. In fact, this type of figurative speech is used elsewhere and for other people. From Matthew 12:50: “[Jesus said] Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”. Biblical terminology of this nature – children of God, son(s) of God, God the Father – is so fraught with theological confusion, and has caused so much confusion to others, that the Qur’an addresses this very issue, putting a clear end to it: “But the Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are the children of God and His beloved’… No rather you are human beings from among those He has created…” 5:18 As for Jesus being God, while also being the Son of God, there is no narrative in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke where Jesus explicitly calls himself God. This is also true of the writings of Paul. Cryptic statements about Jesus being God are found only in the last Gospel, John. How could Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul all fail to recount a claim so central to Christology? Historian and former evangelist Bart Ehrman, author of the best selling How Jesus became God and 141

Misquoting Jesus, amongst other titles on early Christianity notes: “During his lifetime, Jesus himself didn’t call himself God, and didn’t consider himself God… none of his disciples had any inkling at all that he was God.”177 A warning in the Qur’an: “They have certainly disbelieved, those who say ‘God is the Messiah, Son of Mary’ – yet the Messiah said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord.’ Indeed, he who associates others with God – God has forbidden him Paradise and his abode is the Fire. And there are no helpers for the wrong doers.” 5:72-74 The Holy Ghost The third person of the Trinity; the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) had not been effectively clarified by the Council of Nicaea, which had managed only to define it as the Lord and Giver of Life178. Its debate fell on the next council of Church Fathers at the First Council of Constantinople in 381. Christologists still struggle to define the Holy Spirit, and so this aspect/entity remains shrouded and steeped in ambiguity, but he/it is considered to perform divine functions and deliver guidance in the lives of Christians as he/it did in the life and ministry of Christ.

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Interview with Terry Gross, for Fresh Air, April 7, 2014. Gunton, Collin E. The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, 1997. Jun 28. 142

Islamic theology however dispels the fiction surrounding the Holy Spirit or Sacred Spirit very precisely. It is the title given to the Archangel Gabriel and is exclusively his synonym. The Holy Spirit179 i.e. Gabriel, was appointed by God to deliver the divine messages to the prophets and assist them in their mission according to God’s Command. The Qur’an states: “Say [O Muhammad], ‘The Holy Spirit has brought it [the Qur’an] down from your Lord…’ 16:102 “And certainly We gave to Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave to Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Holy Spirit.” 2:87 According to the Islamic understanding of monotheism, the Trinity is wholly polytheistic180. There are three broad aspects of the unity of God that are central to Islamic theology: 1. The singularity of Divine Lordship – meaning that God is One and uniquely One; in His essence and being, and in His actions such as creation, sovereignty, control, giving life and death, etc. Absolutely nothing is like Him, and nothing morphs from Him into another individual. In Arabic al-ruh al-Qudoos – as explained in Chapter Six, the angels are another creation of God. 180 Christians however are considered to be monotheists by Islam. 179

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2. The singularity of Worship – meaning that all acts of worship; physical, emotional, private or public, are to be intended and devoted to Him alone, since He is the only One worthy of worship. 3. The singularity of His Divine Names and Attributes – meaning that the descriptions He has used for Himself belong perfectly and completely to Him. Trinitarianism, despite its concept of modalism to justify itself as monotheistic, breaches all three categories of divine singularity, and that is why Islam considers Christianity to be inconsistent with pure monotheism not because it misunderstands the Trinity to mean three Gods. The Qur’an is very clear and self-explanatory on this and states: “O people of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about God except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary was but a messenger of God and His word which He directed to Mary, and a soul [created by a command] from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers. And do not say ‘Three’ – desist, it is better for you. Indeed God is but One God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and on earth. And sufficient is God as disposer of affairs.” 4:171 The act of associating anything with God whether it be outright idolatry or subtle polytheism, is called shirk in 144

Arabic, and is of so great a magnitude that it is considered the most serious of the major sins in Islam. The Qur’an explains the gravity of the shirk involved in belief in the trinity, by the reaction of the Creation to it: “And they say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son.’ You have come with an atrocious claim. The heavens almost rupture from it and the earth almost splits open, and the mountains almost collapse in devastation – that they attribute to the Most Merciful a son. And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son. There is no one in the heavens and earth except that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant.” 19:88-93 Shirk, if it remains unrepented for, is the only unforgiveable sin. From the Qur’an: “Indeed God does not forgive the sin of setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He wills for sins that are less than that. And whoever sets up partners in worship with God has indeed strayed far from the path.” 4:116 The Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah The second coming of Jesus will be his descent. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬stated:

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“The Hour will not be established until the Son of Mary descends amongst you as a just ruler…”181 Jesus’ return, along with the Virgin Birth, his bodily ascent in place of crucifixion and the miracles he performed are articles of faith integral to Islam. Importantly, his second coming is a sign of the end of time for human life on earth. From the Qur’an: “And indeed, [Jesus] will be [a sign of] knowledge regarding The Hour, so be not in doubt about it, and follow Me. This is the straight path.” 43:61

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Bukhari. 146

Chapter 11: Death and The Day of Judgement Life on earth was never made by God to be eternal. Death is a part of life, and the necessary exit from this domain into the next, just as birth is entry into it: “Wherever you may be, death will [eventually] overtake you, even if you were in towers built up strong and high...” 4:78 In Christian theology death is linked to sin: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. His sin spread death throughout all the world… for this one man, Adam brought death to many through his sin.” Romans 5:12 & 15 But in Islam, God is the Creator of both life and death. “Indeed, it is We who give life and cause death, and to Us is the final return.” 50:43 “[He] has created death and life, that He may test you as to which of you is best in deeds. He is the All-Mighty, the Oft- Forgiving”. 67:2 All earthly actions and activities cease with death. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬would say:

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“Remember frequently the destroyer of pleasures Death.”182 Upon the drawing of the last breath as the soul is about to leave its body, it is met by the angels entrusted with its custody. Good obedient souls are welcomed: “By those [angels] who gently take out [the souls of the believers].” 79:2 While disobedient and wicked souls are grabbed into punishment: “By those [angels] who pull [out the souls of the evil doers] with great force.” 79:1 As mentioned, once the soul is extracted from the body, it enters the realm of the barzakh. Here, the concept of time becomes less relevant, and the human being enters a state similar to sleep, where hours slept may be felt like mere moments. The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬would say: “Sleep is the brother of death.”183 In the barzakh, the souls are either punished or rewarded according to the deeds of life, and await the resurrection for the Day of Judgement.

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Tirmidhi, an-Nasaa’i. Mishkat. 148

In Islam, belief in the Day of Judgement is an article of faith. Muslims are required to believe that every person, irrespective of race or religion, will have to answer to God for every action that they carried out. God with His perfect knowledge and justice will either forgive and reward, or reprimand and punish. If life carries a purpose, and everything points to the fact that it does, there must be a date set for evaluating how well that purpose has been fulfilled – the Day of Judgement is that evaluation: “God created the heavens and the earth for a true purpose, to reward each soul according to its deeds. They will not be wronged.” 45:22 The Day of Judgement also serves another purpose too; the restitution of oppression and injustice184. So often in life victims never receive the justice or compensation they are due, and the Day of Judgement stands to correct abscondment, impunity, and the miscarriage of justice: “On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there was a great distance between him and

The Day of Judgement is so entrenched in the dispensation of perfect justice that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬explained “All creatures will settle the scores between them, even the hornless animal with the horned one, and even one ant with another”. al-Albaani, Silsilaat al Saheehah – The settling of scores here is not suggestive of accountability, since animals are not held accountable, but rather, this is a retaliation in kind for the sake of justice. 184

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his evil. And God warns you against Himself (His punishment) and God is full of kindness to His slaves.” 3:30 God gives humans time to reflect upon their commitment to Him, and to reflect upon their personal conduct towards others and towards the rest of creation. He gives them avenues to repent, change, correct wrongdoing and seek His forgiveness; but on the arrival of death, the opportunity for salvation and success through personal obedience and repentance to Him is closed185: “And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and then he says ‘Indeed, I have repented now!’ – nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment.” 4:18 On the Day of Judgement, souls will be rejoined with their bodies: “Then surely (again) you will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection.” 23:16 Like nihilists of the modern era, the pagan Arabs who disbelieved in the Day of Judgement would not accept The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬explained ongoing acts of charity set up by the deceased during life continue as benefit, namely knowledge imparted to others which aids them, money that has been invested in projects which continues to help others including wells and trees that provide nutrition for both humans and animals, and righteous children who supplicate on behalf of their deceased parents. 185

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this resurrection and its implications, belittling the seriousness of the situation: “And they said, ‘There is no [other life] but our present life of this world, and never shall we be resurrected.’” 6:29 “The disbelievers presume that they will never be resurrected. Say [to them], ‘Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for God.’” 64:7 The base characteristic of disbelief does not evolve with time or intellect, but remains submerged in the beguilement of physical gratification. As explained in the Qur’an: “Know that the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.” 57:20 The Day itself will be a day of great fear, because every human (as well as the jinn) will have to stand before God – His magnificence will be daunting and overwhelming, whilst at the same time, the accounting of good and bad deeds will begin: “And for every person, We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread

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open. He will be told, ‘Read your book! Today your own self is enough to hold [you] to account.’” 17:13-14 Paradise is the destination of those who through their continued effort in this short life have tried to please God, so as to receive His mercy and forgiveness: “Truly the righteous will be in gardens and water springs. [It will be said to them] ‘Enter into it, in peace and security.’” 15:45-46 For disobedience and wilful neglect, despite God’s constant reminders, He warns candidly of a severe punishment: “The real losers are those who denied their meeting with God, until the Hour suddenly catches them and they say, ‘It is too bad for us that we gave it no thought.’ They will bear burdens on their backs and the burdens they will bear will certainly be evil.” 6:31 No one except God Himself knows when the Day of Judgement will be established: “Certainly, God [alone] has knowledge of the Hour.” 31:34

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God has withheld this particular piece of information even from the prophets, but the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ did forewarn of signs186 of its imminence.

Of its minor signs are: • Earthquakes and sinkholes will become frequent. [Tirmidhi]

• Rain will burn – a reference to acid rain perhaps. [Tabarani] • Deserts will turn green with vegetation, and attempts will be made to make them fertile. [Muslim] • The drying up of the River Euphrates and Lake Tiberias. [Muslim] • An increase in lightning striking people. [Ahmad] • An increase in killing, so much so that the murderer will not know why he murdered, and the victim will not know why he was killed. [Muslim] • Suicide will become more prevalent. [Ibn Kathir] • Children will be filled with rage and show it. [Tabarani] • Children will be foul-mouthed. [Tabarani] • Promiscuity will be widespread, and this will result in the spread of diseases that were not previously known. [Ibn Hibban, Ibn majah] • Sexual acts will be performed openly and in public. [Bukhari] • The number of children born out of marriage will increase. [Tabarani] 186

These prophecies were made over 1400 years ago and what may seem normal now was unimaginable back then and the issues raised reflects this. 153

• There will be widespread consumption of intoxicants. [Bukhari] • Obesity, mental illness, and sudden death will become more prevalent. [Ahmad, Tabarani] • People will compete in constructing tall buildings. [Bukhari] • An abundance of marketplaces. [Ahmad] • People will walk in the marketplaces with their thighs exposed. [Tirmidhi] • Women will be dressed, yet naked. [Muslim] • People will not care to keep family ties intact and will not care for their neighbours. [Tirmidhi] • Deceit, cheating, and breaking of trusts will become widespread. [Tirmidhi] • Great distances will be traversed in short spaces of time. [Ahmad] • A man’s pocket will tell him what his family is doing at home – perhaps a reference to mobile phones. [Ahmad] • The people of Iraq and Syria will receive no food and no money due to the oppression of foreigners. [Muslim] The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬prophesied many more signs, the details of which are beyond the scope of this book, but importantly, God has sent ample warning about the Day of Judgement to human beings throughout their history on earth, while every prophet alerted his people to the concept of accountability before God on that Day. “And We do not send the Messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. So whoever believes and 154

reforms – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” 6:48 As for those who die in a state of involuntary ignorance about the purpose of life – the very young, the mentally incapacitated or those truly isolated from civilisation, their situation rests with the perfect justice of God. But for the majority, the Qur’an remains the only authentic source of guidance for salvation and success. It is well known enough and accessible throughout the world for everyone to read and think about its message. “And this [Qur’an] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it and fear God that you may receive mercy.” 6:155

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Chapter 12: A Summary The human being dominates all other living creatures here on earth – a monumental creation of God to fulfil a monumental purpose. The message of Islam is a universal message traversing the history of human existence from its origins to its inevitable end. All nations of all eras have been informed of this great purpose and how to achieve it, whilst also being duly warned of the consequences of deliberate neglect. To convey this message, prophets chosen by God (who were not divine in any way), stood as exemplary models of human behaviour, delivering on their trust. But the messages they brought, over time became corrupted by the opinions and cultural practices of their followers and so lost their validity. Every time the message was lost in this way, God replaced it with a more complete and comprehensive message - as human understanding progressed, so did the divine instruction. The message brought by the final prophet of God, Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬, is the last of the divine guidance. Its basic message is that God is intransigently One. He does not share anything of His being with His creation. He provides everything for His creation according to His perfect wisdom and He alone is deserving of all worship.

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God has made this life a test so that He may reward His faithful, obedient, and loving worshippers with Paradise that He has prepared for them for their efforts: “(To the righteous it will be said) O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well pleased and well pleasing [to Him]. And enter among My [righteous] servants. And enter My Paradise.” 89:27-30 To assist and aid His creation to worship Him, He has endowed them with every faculty and ability necessary. He answers them when they reach out to Him. From the Qur’an: “And your Lord says, “Call upon Me, I will answer you”. 40:60 This is the pure and simple message of Islam, which has now sadly been hijacked and skewered, not least of all by the terrorist movements that bedevil any mention of it. Their vicious polemic and method are regrettably seen by many to represent the religion of Islam. Drawing their impulsion from socio-political grievances, which feed their motivation, their poisonous ideology forged from a deliberate misinterpretation of Qur’anic text, is in fact a heretical doctrine rejected by mainstream Islam and the overwhelming majority of Muslims. These repugnant groups that profess to uphold the message of Islam, are the very same who have perverted its law - using it to oppress and slaughter. The orientalist historian Bernard Lewis explains; “When we talk of 157

Muslim law, I would remind you that we are talking about law. Shari’ah is a system of law and adjudication, not of lynching and terror. It is a law that lays down rules; rules for evidence, for indictment, for defence and the rest of it – quite a different matter from what has been happening recently.”187 The rise of terrorism carried out in the name of Islam, coupled with the relentless islamophobic representation of Muslims as terrorists, has not only maligned the reputation of a religion which more than any other urges mercy, introspection, and accountability; but has also, unfortunately, robbed many of the precious opportunity to objectively look into Islam for what it is – the worship of the One God, the way He wishes to be worshipped.

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Islam and the West: A Conversation with Bernard Lewis. April 27, 2006. Pew Research Centre. 158

(Back cover) The question of the ages - why are we here? and the search for truth is inherent to human thought and nature. Despite ever better understanding of the most complex of matters, the basic purpose of life itself remains obscure to the majority of people. If this elemental question could be answered precisely, we would be able to make sense of life and the increasing chaos of the world we live in. The truth came to do just that – through the message of the messengers.

Dr. Asra Rasheed qualified as a Dental Surgeon from the Royal London Hospital in 1995. Also by the same author; The Simple Call to One God and Death. Fair Use allows for the use of copyrighted materials for the purposes of commentary, criticism and education.

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